By Erin Dickinson ’24, Staff Writer
With midterms approaching and stress ramping up on campus, Friday’s Fresh Check Day looks to be an opportunity for students to unwind and learn healthy ways to cope with stress.
The event will be taking place from 1 to 4 p.m. in LeChase Commons and is a joint effort between the Office of Student Engagement and Inclusion and the Peer Support Team. Additionally, some Fisher clubs and organizations have been asked to host activities at the event.
Fisher is not the first college to host a Fresh Check Day. The concept is the brainchild of the Jordan Porco Foundation, a group that aims to prevent suicide and promote mental health. In the past week alone, Fresh Check Days have been hosted across the country at colleges such as Texas A&M University, Bryant University, and Iona College, according to the foundation’s website.
“Schools are able to take the idea of having a mental health fair and make it their own,” Jenna Weintraub, who oversees the Peer Support Team in her role as the Coordinator of Wellness Education said. Weintraub added that working with the Jordan Porco Foundation has been a smooth process.
“(The foundation) provides the resources and makes it easy and fun…they send us materials, kind of like a health fair in a box.”
Member of the Peer Support Team Liz Gass has played a large role in making the idea of the Fresh Check Day become a reality. “I’m hoping that they’ll (students) gain more knowledge about the importance of suicide awareness and prevention,” Gass said. “We want students to be able to use this knowledge to better support their fellow students and friends.”
Weintraub echoed this sentiment, saying, “I like the idea that students can come together and talk about mental health in a fun way. (The fair) gives students a new way to approach talking about mental health; it doesn’t have to be sad or scary.”
Students planning on attending the fair can look forward to free t-shirts, food from Le Petit Poutine, giveaways, and a variety of wellness-related activities. For Gass, there is one activity in particular that stands out above the rest.
“I’m most looking forward to the therapy dogs that will be there.”
For more information about Fresh Check Day, students can contact Jenna Weintraub at [email protected] or any member of the Peer Support Team.
