On February 4th, Alcorn State University’s (ASU) Student and Health Well-Being Club hosted a ‘Go Red for Heart Health’ event in the Dining Room Lobby at the Dr. Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Facility from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. This event emphasized the importance of health and encouraged faculty and students to focus on their actions when dealing with their physical fitness on a daily basis.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death for men and women and February marks American Heart Month which is a great time to commit to a healthy lifestyle and make small changes that can lead to a lifetime of heart health.
Dorothy Davis, Executive Director of Student Health and Well-Being and advisor of H.E.R.O.S. (Health Educators Reaching Other Students), stated, “We want everyone to know about today’s event. We’re looking at promoting and we’re giving away items, but also the pamphlets and information are so important because high blood pressure can be a silent killer. And we want everyone to be aware of what the signs and symptoms of a heart attack are, identifying a stroke, how to correctly take your blood pressure, what your number should be, the consequences of high blood pressure, and what you can do to help improve your blood pressure.”
Naiya Fort, 20, a Biology major, stated, “This event helped me in my everyday life, making me more aware of my health and what I put into my body.”
Directly adjacent from the event was ‘Show Your Heart Love,’ which was hosted by Alcorn H.E.R.O.S., which was also in the Dining Room Lobby of the Dr. Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Facility from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. This event signified the importance of getting tested for HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Along with “Client Intake/Risk Assessment” were pamphlets that consisted of information about testing and health.
Aaron Christopher Jones, an employee of Open Arms Health Care Center, said, “It gives us a chance to engage with the students and give information to them and also connect with them on a different level so that they may be able to converse with a health professional in person.”
ASU Health and Well-Being will be hosting more events this month to spread awareness. For more information, please contact Student Health and Well-Being at (601) 877-2340.
