Health Matters Newsletter
March 2015
Tips & Tricks for a Safe Spring Break
Written by: Emily Griffith
It's March! And college students have one thing on their minds: spring break. After the cold and dreary winter we've been having, many of us are escaping to warmer places for fun and relaxation. But we can't forget the basic safety steps that will ensure that we'll enjoy our breaks without fail.
The Travel: Whether you're driving or flying, make sure you plan your travels wisely. When driving, be sure the car is up to date on all maintenance checks, and be smart about switching drivers. Don't try to drive when you're tired, and have a backup driver ready at all times. If you're flying, be sure you have all the right travel documents with you, and also properly label and keep an eye on your luggage- a trip to Florida tends to be less enjoyable when you're stuck wearing the same jeans and sweatshirt for a week.
The Hotel: Most college students end up staying at hotels with hundreds of other students also on their breaks, so be smart about keeping your room locked up and your valuables safe. If there are more of you in the room than room keys, be sure to use the buddy system so that no one gets locked out of the room. Finally, be discreet about your hotel and room number in public- it's your home for the week, so no one besides your travel companions needs to know where you're staying each night.
The Drinking & Partying: Again, use that buddy system- there's no reason for anyone in your group to be alone! Try to have a designated sober person each not, but if that's not possible, be sure to be aware of how much you're drinking and who you're with. And follow the Golden Rule of drinking: Keep your eyes on your own cup at all times. Popular spring break areas and bars can become crowded and hectic, so be smart about partying.
The Evidence: As fun as spring break will be, it's not always wise to put every picture you take on Facebook and other social media. Especially if you're a senior on the job hunt, be careful about what people are able to see on your profile- while you may consider your drinking abilities admirable, shotgunning and funneling aren't usually the top skills that potential employers look for. So take as many photos as you want, but consider keeping some of the more questionable ones off of the internet.
Overall, be smart and keep the safety of you and your friends in mind- spring break isn't always about making the smartest decisions, but you can still make the safe decisions!
Confidential HIV Testing on March 10, 2015
On March 10th, free HIV testing will be taking place in LoGrasso hall from 10am5pm. This is a great opportunity that only takes around 15 minutes to complete, and even better, it’s free! What to expect: Individuals from Evergreen Health Services of Western New York will be coming into the health center and performing the HIV tests using Clearview.
About the test: Clearview is an easy test that detects antibodies to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Types 1 (HIV1) and Type 2 (HIV2). It requires a simple prick of your finger, and results immediately following! Clearview is at least 99% accurate, being that most infected antibodies can be detected after 3 months of initial exposure. In rare cases it can take up to 6 months from initial exposure to test positively.
Another great thing about this opportunity is the fact that its anonymous testing, and appointments can be made over the phone by calling LoGrasso health center at 716-673-3131
FredAssist is sponsoring a "Let's Get it On" Week
By: Elizabeth Domachowske
FredASSIST, a sexual health student group on campus, offers free condoms, cheaper pregnancy tests and emergency contraception pills, other sexual health services such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing and any routine infection checks. Recently FredASSIST has incorporated the “Lets Get It On” campaign in order for other groups on campus and themselves to promote any program they have which deals with sexual health. This campaign helps to get the word out about any group that wants to have a sexual health event and overall helps to raise awareness. The “Lets Get It On” campaign concept is to be used across campus in order to promote the groups that decide to use it, and to provide more knowledge about maintaining good sexual health as young adults. On March 11th FredASSIST in collaboration with Women’s Student Union will be having an event called Porntopia. This event is a great opportunity to hear and provide good conversations about how the media has altered our generation into a “porn culture”. Many topics such as body image, media secrets, consent and much more will be a part of the program. The three main discussions will focus in on media literacy and sex and how exactly this “porn culture” has come to be. This event will be held in Williams Center 204D and the three discussions times will be at 1:00, 3:00 and 6:00 pm. You can reserve a seat by calling 716-673-3396 before March 6th, as space is limited.
Women Running Fredonia!
Starting January 26. 2015, Women Running Fredonia is a women’s only group that will incorporate running, jogging, and walking with discussion about topics that impact women.
Women of all fitness levels are welcome! Women Running Fredonia is a no-pressure group aimed at improving the overall well-being and connectedness of women on Fredonia’s campus.
To sign up, please contact Maggie McCurdy at margaret.mccurdy@fredonia.edu or Emily Griffith at emily.griffith@fredonia.edu. We will meet Monday’s starting January 26 at 5:30pm at LoGrasso Hall.
Student Health Center
Hours: Monday through Friday 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
The student Health Center is open to all Fredonia students. Those who have paid the mandatory health fee are seen at no charge. Students are seen on a walk-in basis , and then are triaged by our Registered Nursing staff into an appointment with a physician or nurse practitioner if needed
Website: fredonia.edu/healthcenter
Location: Lograsso Hall Health Center, Central Avenue, Fredonia, NY, United States
Phone: (716) 673-3131