Evangeline Colarossi – Staff Writer

Wednesday afternoon found the Grille flooded with students getting tips on how to live their healthiest life. Sophomore and senior nursing students presented on a variety of topics with handouts, hands-on activities and visualizations to educate Dordt students on aspects of obtaining and keeping a healthy body.

One group covered what the ideal healthy meal looks like and how your portion sizes might be underestimated. They used examples of seemingly healthy foods from the Grille, such as smoothies and chocolate milk, and comparing their sugar content to a suggested daily intake.

Students were also encouraged to guess several trivia questions for a prize of, surprisingly, a piece of candy. Another group had gathered data on the average energy needed to walk across campus (30 calories) and other Dordt-related health facts.

Three tables included hands-on activities, or in one case, “heads-in.” The nurses manning the skincare table worked alongside a lightbox that identified dry, oily, dead, or healthy skin through a varied color spectrum. Several tables down the row, nurses tested blood glucose levels and identified blood types. Students could play a matching game to determine what blood types are compatible for which donations.

Vital signs, body mass index, and mental health were other tables in the lineup. These stations let the nursing students practice running tests and explain the importance of those subjects to the inquiring students.

Once a student had gone through all of the tables and gotten their “health passport” signed off, they could enter into a prize drawing. Students also received encouragement to go donate blood through the visiting blood drive on campus on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Health Fair gave the nurses the opportunity to collect data from student polls, obtain more hands-on experience and share their passion with others. All the presentation boards were made specially for the fair.

“I’d say we’ve been working on preparing for the fair for the better part of the semester,” senior nursing major Holly Hiemstra said.