Health Fair to return to Binghamton University

B-Healthy, the Binghamton University Healthy Campus Initiative, is hosting its annual health fair, showcasing the resources available to the University community to maintain and improve health and wellness. The event will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, March 20, in the University Union, with programming in the Mandela Room, Old Union Hall and Tillman Lobby.

Hosting the event for the first time since 2019, B-Healthy is collaborating with several campus partners, local businesses and wellness advocates to raise awareness of the health and wellness resources on campus and within the community. Students can enjoy a full schedule of wellness-themed activities such as student-led stage performances, wellness checks, fitness challenges, guided meditation spaces and more.

“We are looking forward to bringing this back,” said Daniel Matos, the mental health coordinator with the Healthy Campus Initiative. “Now that we’re back in person, it’s the perfect time to revive the Health Fair.”

This year’s theme is “Amp Up Your Wellness.” Matos selected the theme after looking to find something that everyone could relate to. “‘Amp Up Your Wellness’ is a musical theme,” he said. “Music brings everybody together; it’s the universal language.”

B-Healthy uses an eight-dimension model of wellness to illustrate the interconnectedness of the many aspects of living and how, together, they contribute to a healthy existence. The eight dimensions of the wellness model are emotional, physical, occupational, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental and financial wellness. One of the goals of the health fair is to educate students on each of the eight dimensions and how each one is important in a holistic approach to overall wellness.

“I look at the eight dimensions of wellness as similar to an equalizer on a mixing board,” Matos said. “Each dimension of wellness can move up and down depending on the day and your life at the moment.”

In addition, B-Healthy is hoping to combat social isolation and the negative effects it has on students’ wellness. “Across the country, there’s been an epidemic of increased isolation,” Matos said. “We want to help students foster social connections to improve their overall well-being.”

The Health Fair will feature activities such as “speed-friending,” and a social connections lounge where students can engage in interactive activities and games, while enjoying refreshments from Binghamton University Dining Services.

“The goal is for anyone who comes to the Health Fair on their own to make a new friend to walk through it with,” Matos said. “It’s a fun way to promote social connection.”

The Health Fair will also feature a large number of Student Association clubs, allowing students to share common interests and grow their network on and around campus.

“That’s the best way for students to connect with others and strengthen their hobbies and interests. When students engage with each other like that, it positively impacts their wellness across several dimensions,” Matos said.

For students who’d also like to enjoy quieter activities, the health fair will also host a journaling area, a meditation room sponsored by the University Counseling Center (UCC) and mindfulness activities.

Students can visit B-Engaged for more information or to pre-register for the event. For those who anticipate a need for disability-related accommodations or auxiliary aids to attend or participate in this event, contact B-Healthy at bhealthy@binghamton.edu with at least three to five days of notice regarding equal-access needs.