Health Fair occurs despite cold, storm

Jerrod Murphy and Chad Klineline test their body compositions during the Health Fair Feb. 26 in Billingsly Student Center.

Jerrod Murphy and Chad Klineline test their body compositions during the Health Fair Feb. 26 in Billingsly Student Center.

Despite weather complications, this year’s faculty/staff health fair got off to a strong start with 85 participants, said Darren Fullerton, director of campus recreation and wellness.

“Coming off from canceling yesterday and having questionable weather today, we were very pleased with that number,” Fullerton said.

The fair, held Feb. 26 and 27, was open to all Missouri Southern faculty and staff. Among the services available were tests for cholesterol, blood pressure and osteoporosis.

“Blood draws for cholesterol were probably the most popular,” Fullerton said. “After that, I would say EKG and osteoporosis tests were also very popular.”

There were a few difficulties in setting up this year’s fair due to the weather, Fullerton said. The staff normally sets up the day before, so it was trying to finish up on the morning of Feb. 25 before classes were canceled. The Freemen Screen Team, which ran the medical tests, also had trouble making it to the fair.

On average, Fullerton said about 300 faculty and staff members participate in the health fair.

Some faculty members may be a little squeamish around needles, said Christy Phillips, student services secretary, but that didn’t stop her.

“I’m about as wussy as you can get, but I survive every year,” she said. “It’s really not that bad.”

Phillips helped run a table at the fair as well as have tests run. She said she did well on her physical fitness assessment.

The College believes if the staff is kept healthy through activities like the health fair, then its productivity will be high, Fullerton said.

This year, Freeman Health System sponsored the health fair, allowing Southern to save what annually averages to $8,000.

Free health screenings, coupled with convenience of location, are the reasons Phillips thinks the fair is beneficial to faculty and staff. Without the health fair, Phillips said she would probably not have the screenings performed.

For the first time, a fall 2003 student health fair will offer the same tests as the faculty/staff health fair, Fullerton said. Besides the usual health information available, students will be able to get checked for everything the faculty and staff have access to.