Throngs of students and volunteers gathered in front of the LRC on May 1 for Mesa’s Grass Roots Community Health Fair.

Facilitated by Student Health Services, the fair was initially started to provide basic health services to students and to educate them about healthy lifestyle choices.

Registered Nurse Robin Perry said that she, along with other Student Health Services nurses, were “checking blood pressure, height and weight, BMI, waist circumference, and answering any questions students may have in regards to overall health and lifestyle choices.”

“Our main goal,” Perry said, “is to promote health awareness, help students identify areas where they might want to focus on for a healthier lifestyle, and to give them an overview of the services we provide in the clinic.”

Perry explained that the new Student Services building opened the doors for more health services that are now available to students.

“Because we’re in the new Student Services building,” she stated, “we have many more resources available now than we did in the past.  We have full counseling, the everyday nurse practitioners, immunizations, flu shots, wellness checks, and blood work.  We try to really get a full picture for the students.”  Many of these services are offered to students at no cost.

Although the main focus of the health fair was to promote healthy lifestyles, the fair also welcomed a diverse assortment of vendors and organizations.  From a rock-climbing wall to spiritual readings, students had no shortage of activities in which to partake.

Mesa student Melissa Corie braved the rock-climbing wall, making it all the way to the top and back again without a problem.  Still jittery from the adrenaline rush, Corie stated that she hadn’t rock climbed since middle school.  “It took more effort than I remembered,” she said, “I’m afraid of heights so it took physical strength and mental strength.”

Corie also took part in a spiritual reading, which drew a long line of other eager participants.  “The reader said that I was blocked in some way,” she said, “and right after he said that, I almost felt it being lifted out of me.”

Volunteers from the non-profit organization Falun Dafa were also in attendance, and provided live demonstrations of their meditation techniques.  The group practices a traditional Chinese method of meditation, which is used to improve physical health and reduce stress and anxiety.  In addition to spreading the word about this ancient healing method, the Falun Dafa group also sought to raise awareness about the persecution of individuals in China who follow this self-cultivation practice.

A volunteer by the name of Yu stated, “This ancient practice is so beneficial, but the Communist regime in China wants to ban it.  Many people have lost their lives or have been persecuted and because of this, it pushes Falun Dafa to the world stage.”  She added that the group “has no membership fees, no dues, and we don’t even accept donations.  There is no church or worshipping; it’s just a practice to improve the mind and body.”

As evidenced by the diverse group of volunteers, students were provided with an array of ways to improve their health, from Western medicine to alternative methods.  Between the food stands, nutritionists, and rock-climbing wall, Mesa’s health fair enjoyed another successful run, as students were seen crowded in front of the LRC well into the afternoon as the fair came to a close.