In an effort to promote awareness of physical and mental health on campus, the Staff Senate will be hosting UNA’s first Wellness Day. The event will be held on Feb. 19 from 10 to 2 p.m. in the Guillot University Center banquet halls.

Staff concerns about healthcare costs prompted Wellness Day, said Melissa Thornton, President of Staff Senate.

“What we’re trying to do is promote health and wellness on campus for faculty, staff and students,” Thornton said. “The idea originated in staff senate, because one of the questions we get a lot is why the insurance premiums are so high, and what can we do to make them go down? Basically, the only thing we can do is to be healthier overall — that’s fewer doctor visits, fewer emergency room visits and fewer prescriptions.”

Ultimately, UNA Wellness Day is the kickoff to a new health initiative, Thornton said.

“I see it being a once a year thing,” Thornton said. “From this, we’re hoping to get awareness, and then we’re looking into starting maybe some walking/running programs just to kind of get a (team effort) going on so that we can get people involved. What we’re hoping is to show the whole campus that (health is) something we should be looking at and thinking about all the time.”

Although the list of vendors is not yet complete, a variety of organizations are set to attend, Thornton said.

“We’re also having people from fitness centers, health food stores and places like that to give us some information, just to get people thinking ‘health,’” Thornton said. “Counselors will be there from UNA counseling services as well to discuss mental health.”

Local hospitals will be involved with Wellness Day, Thornton said.

“We’re having vendors from Helen Keller and ECM hospitals,” Thornton said. “They’re going to do glucose checks for those that want them and blood pressure checks. They’re also going to bring information on different (health) programs.”

The setup will have multiple information stations as well as prizes for attendants, Thornton said.

“I’m thinking of it sort of like the SOAR setup, where you have different information booths,” Thornton said. “You can just go and find out about different programs. We’re also going to have some giveaways, such as gym passes and personal training sessions, but we’re still working on that.”

Sophomore Michael Smith does not believe the event is necessary.

“Everyone already knows that they need to be healthy,” Smith said. “We know that we need to eat right and work out. I wouldn’t be interested in going to a program just to learn that.”

Being healthy is important and finding ways to do so with different activities is a necessity, said Jacob Phillips, a freshman.

“I need to be healthy to live a good life,” Phillips said. “Sometimes I play intramural sports. I also participated in step sing, and I go running sometimes, which helps me stay active without thinking about it.”

Mental health is just as important as physical health, said freshman Brittney Carter.

“I think college can be a very stressful time,” Carter said. “Some students might need counseling, and it’s important that they get it if they do. Good mental health allows students to get everything done that they need to succeed.”