Tables lined Tower Drive on Friday as students gathered for LSU Student Health Center’s Dimensions of Wellness Fair.
Multiple organizations from both on and off campus came together to set up displays for students, each representing a segment of the SHC’s Dimensions of Wellness wheel.
The wheel is designed to showcase the most important components of health and well-being. The different sections include spiritual, physical, cultural, social, financial, environmental, intellectual, emotional, sexual and occupational wellness.
Kayla Laveau, a representative of LSU Mental Health Services, said her table focused on emotional wellness.
“A student isn’t only one thing. They’re a multidimensional person,” she said. “There’s a lot of different needs that different students have.”
Laveau added that she hopes students learn that they are not alone in their struggles with mental health and that they leave the fair knowing about of the resources available to them on campus.
Other organizations approached wellness from different angles. K.J. O’Neill, representing the UREC, described how their facility contributes to several dimensions of wellness at once, including physical activity, social interaction and relaxation.
“We have something for everybody,” O’Neill said, pointing to options ranging from workout spaces to spaces designed for relaxation and focus.
O’Neill emphasized that wellness often comes down to managing stress and maintaining mental health while managing class workloads. He encouraged students to explore available resources before graduating, noting that many may not realize what is offered to them during their time on campus.
Some other organizations set up tables, including the Global Community Center, Study Abroad and the Center for Academic Success. Spiritual organizations, financial institutions, LSUPD and many others also set up tables to show how they can help with student wellness.
Students attending the fair expressed a mix of curiosity and general interest. Sophomore Stephaija Toliver said she came primarily to socialize and explore opportunities, while Tristan Elmore, a senior psychology major, attended after hearing about the event from a peer.
The event took place on Tower Drive, a busy part of campus. Many students had been passing through in between classes and stopped in to see what was going on. Many of these students walked away with knowledge on how they can improve their well-being on campus.
Some students pointed to specific things they learned while walking through the fair. Elmore mentioned learning about financial policies, while others described wellness in more general terms, such as maintaining physical health or overall well-being.
The Dimensions of Wellness Fair showed students that supporting well-being is complex, requiring maintaining multiple components of health. Bringing multiple organizations together highlighted campus resources available to support students throughout their college career.
