The University of Southern Mississippi recently held its Fall Wellness Festival on Oct. 24, from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Spirit Park. Students Counseling Services, Moffitt Health Center, and Campus Recreation co-hosted the event for the second straight year. And the festivities included food, games, music, face painting, Cash Money the Therapy Dog, door prizes, and more.
Emily Rose, a volunteer for the check-in and welcome center tabling, reiterated that the purpose of the event was to help students relax, enjoy the fun, and learn more about resources available to them on campus.
“Fall Wellness Fair is just to overall highlight mental wellness and physical wellness and just helping the students of USM with that,” Rose said.
The event gave students a chance to learn about different wellness areas both on campus and in the community but in a more informal environment. Many organizations across campus, alongside Counseling Services, Moffitt Health Center, and Campus Recreation are here to help students gain these resources on campus.
The Fall Wellness Festival also aimed to reduce pressures and reassure students that the University supports their well-being.
“We promote this festival just to show awareness for wellness whether it’s physical or mental or anything like that,” said Rose.
College life for students can be stressful, particularly those experienced by first-year students, graduating students and sometimes transfer students.
Events like these on campus are something for everyone to enjoy and relax at USM as the finals creep upon us and the semester comes close to an end.
Moffitt Health Center is a multi-service health care facility located on USM campus. It raises student success by providing high quality, cost effective healthcare while promoting a culture of wellness through outreach programs and patient education. Feel free to ask questions through email at [email protected] or call the clinic at 601-266-5390.
If anyone needs any help, whether it is their mental/emotional, physical, social, and financial wellness or just need anyone to talk to, contact 988.
Brittany Quito, the Mental Wellness Coordinator for Student Counseling Services, believes the festival highlights the many resources available to students on campus.
“We hope the students know that USM cares about them and their total well-being,” Quito added. “We hope this festival serves as a reminder to all students that there are many great resources available to them on campus to help them grow and thrive during their time here at USM.”
