By Lexus Yamashiro | Staff Writer
For the first time, KCC hosted the Healthy Campus 2020 Initiative Event for students, faculty, staff, and administration on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Toni Choy, the chair of the Committee for Healthy Campus 2020, stated that KCC was the first community college nationwide to have taken the pledge to become a Healthy Campus Partner.
The American College Health Association (ACHA) launched the Healthy Campus 2020 Initiative Event in hopes to recognize health issues and how they can be relieved and prevented.
David Apostol, a member of the Staff Committee for Healthy Campus 2020, had helped create the idea of a Walk-A-Thon to tie into the Healthy Campus 2020 Initiative Event that was hosted on October 18. He stated that having the Walk-A-Thon was a nice way of bringing everyone on campus together to get to know one another better along with promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Apostol said that the mission of Healthy Campus 2020 is to emphasize fellowship. He hopes to see that not only will the people of KCC look at the initiative as a way to promote healthy lifestyles, but also to to find support from one another and learn from each other.
Students who volunteer for the Massage Therapy Program give students massages to help them relieve their stress. (Photo by Lexus Yamashiro)
Choy worked with the Massage Therapy Program group to help spread the word on tips that can help maintain one’s health and about counseling services that are offered through them.
Martin Chong, the program director of the Massage Therapy Program, explained that this particular program is a volunteer program that is part of the KCC campus. The Massage Therapy Program wants to keep those aware that massage is one of many good techniques to release and relieve stress.
The sleep booth was manned by students of the Physiology 160 course who presented information on the healthy sleep habits, and how lack of sleep can lead to adverse hormonal imbalances. An Epworth Sleepiness Scale survey was handed out to interested students who stopped by to see how sleepy they get when put in certain environments and situations. The scale would interpret that if you scored low you have normal sleep, and if scored high you are considered an excessively sleepy person who may need to seek medical attention.
A firefighter teaches a student how to properly do chest compressions by demonstrating on a mannequin. (Photo by Lexus Yamashiro)
The Breast Cancer booth gave out pink ribbons to pin on shirts to raise awareness of breast cancer and how it can be prevented and detected early. A woman who was working the booth explained that her mother had passed away of cancer, which has influenced her to help others in learning about this particular cancer. Women are encouraged to get regular mammograms to detect any early stages of breast cancer.
Firefighters of the Honolulu Fire Department came to teach proper CPR techniques. Mannequins were laid out over a small area on the Great Lawn where students got to interact with one as a firefighter taught them how to do chest compressions. They handed out flyers and booklets that explains what CPR is and how to identify the difference between heart attacks and cardiac arrests. In Hawaiʻi, the sudden cardiac arrest survival rate is less than 10 percent according to the Hawaiʻi Heart Foundation, which is why people are encouraged to learn CPR and call 911 immediately, even if you are unsure.
For students who are interested in pursuing the medical field, the Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) along with the Medical Assisting Program from the Health Sciences Department were giving students who visited their booth got to get their eyes checked and blood pressure taken for free. Medical assisting is said to be one of the fastest growing careers in the nation.
HOSA along with the Medical Assisting Program offer to give students a free check up on their eyes and blood pressure (Photo by Lexus Yamashiro)
Apostol hopes to continue this event again next year and to later become an annual event to continue spreading awareness for Healthy Campus 2020 and persist healthy lifestyles.
For more information about Healthy Campus 2020 or for any of the booths that were present contact Jamie Nguyen at nguyen47@hawaii.edu or visit Student Congress located in ʻIliahi 129.
Lexus Yamashiro can be reached at lexusyam@hawaii.edu. To read all of Lexus’ stories, please click here.
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