CITIZEN JOURNALISM: Students host health fair

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By Meredith Hulley SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

At Geri Spears' table at the Beltsville Community Center in Maryland, you can throw small sheep into buckets and earn a prize. Danielle Balsam and Jen Shapiro hand out pocket-sized food-portion guides at their booth. And Meredith Zanelotti gives out a free sample of dark chocolate, while Khaleila Iwuoha performs a free blood-pressure screening at their table.

All are students in the Principles of Community Health I class taught by Sharon M. Desmond at the University of Maryland School of Public Health. Every semester, Ms. Desmonds students put on public health fairs at locations in the community.

The first of this academic year occurred Thursday at the Beltsville Community Center. Ms. Desmonds other section of this class will put on another health fair at Gwendolyn Britt Senior Activity Center in Brentwood on Nov. 10.

Usually , students have the whole semester to work on their projects, Ms. Desmond said. This year, however, the students had only six weeks to complete their projects.

"This is rushed," Ms. Desmond said, "Beltsville wanted us to do it now so they could do the flu shots. Usually, we have 15 weeks."

Last year, the health fair was able to give out 200 flu shots, but because of poor weather, the numbers were down last week.

Joe Fuchs, treasurer of the Beltsville Recreation Council, said flu shots were the original impetus for the health fair. But the council wanted to figure out "what we could do for seniors and the community, in terms of a health program," he said. "We had flu shots, and thats it."

So six years ago, Mr. Fuchs approached Ms. Desmond at the university and she agreed to help. "It grew out of wanting to have flu shots, and it expanded," Mr. Fuchs said. "Its really turned out to be quite a community event."

Now the flu shots are just one small part of the health fair.

Also in the gym at the community center on Thursday were representatives from the Lions Club conducting hearing tests, Golds Gym staffers signing up new members and the Prince Georges Police Department offering safety tips. In the center of all the activity, however, were the student projects.