KATE SEMPLE, THE CAFRE STUDENT SUPPORT OFFICER

Student Health Fairs were held in October at Enniskillen, Greenmount and Loughry Campuses.

These events are part of the CAFRE Student Health Promotion Policy about promoting different aspects of student health such as keeping safe during the party season, when forming relationships and while driving. Students were keen to have a go at completing a sobriety test while wearing 'beer-goggles' of the alcohol-free variety. These goggles gave students an opportunity to drive a car in simulated conditions as their vision and judgement were impaired by the goggles. Healthy eating was highlighted by Eurest who put on colourful and tasty displays of fresh fruit and alternative nibbles for everyone to taste. Some of the sprouted seeds received mixed reviews with one student raving about the flavour while another commented that it tasted like grass! What is it they say "One man's meat is another's poison !!".

Keeping fit and healthy was encouraged by representatives from Fitness First and from the local leisure centres at the Greenmount and Loughry Health Fairs. The ladies from Fitness First were in much demand with a long queue forming to get blood pressure and body fat measured. At Loughry staff from Northern Ireland Chest, Heart and Stroke carried out blood sugar and cholesterol testing and were kept busy by both college staff and students.

A range of organisations providing help and information services attended the health fairs, offering a wide range of literature as free samples. The student counselling service Carecall brought along a device to measure stress which proved an instant hit. These were the first events of this kind aimed at students and judging from the positive comments received, will become a regular feature in the future.