The University of Rhode Island joined in observing National Public Health Week to spread awareness of the importance of public health through free events on campus.
Covering topics from nutrition, skin cancer and suicide prevention, the events held throughout the week offered a variety of preventative resources to students.
“I feel like people didn’t always know what public health was, until the pandemic,” Patrick Vivier, dean of the College of Health Sciences, said. “Now everybody knows what it is.”
Many of the events included information about URI’s relatively new public health undergraduate major, kicking off in 2024, and the Master’s of Public Health program added last fall.
With the interdisciplinary medical tracks offered, the university has the potential to become a leader in public health, according to Vivier. He hopes that the Public Health Department draws from expertise within the colleges of pharmacy, nursing and environmental sciences.
“A lot of times when people think of health they just think of medical care and treatment,” Vivier said. “But really the social determinants of health are much more influenced by our behaviors and what’s happening around us.”
In Quinn Hall, some stopped by for a free skin cancer screening on Monday. Sat with their head covered in front of an ultraviolet light with a mirror at the end, community members got an up-close look at skin damage on the face.
“It’s interesting for them to see their skin on a different level,” Health and Wellness Specialist Rachael Musch said. “The machine pulls back another layer and lets them see their skin a little bit deeper.”
Students often want to prioritize wearing sunscreen after seeing sun damage and higher risk areas in the screening, according to Musch.
“You don’t see it when you look in the mirror,” Musch said. “Sometimes they’re a little worried but I always reassure them that sun damage is normal.”
Informative materials about sunscreen guidelines and how to identify skin cancer were available for grabs. Some materials explained the ABCDE skin cancer spotting system, an easy-to-remember system to help identify skin cancers in moles or birthmarks. Asymmetrical shape, irregular borders, variance of color, diameter and evolving characteristics can be potential indicators.
Applying sunscreen during outdoor and water activities, as well as reapplying as instructed on sunscreen products is important, according to Musch. For women in particular, she recommends opting for makeup products with built-in sunscreen.
“And lips!” Musch said. “Everyone forgets about their lips.”
Down the hall, students attempted to stack plastic cups wearing “drunk goggles,” vision-impairing goggles meant to raise awareness of how alcohol consumption can affect motor skills and judgement. “Weed goggles” were also available to try the same challenge with the simulated effect of THC, which were more akin to looking through a kaleidoscope.
The impairment challenge also promoted the URI bachelor’s-to-master’s public health program. Students on this accelerated track have the opportunity to graduate a semester early with a master’s in public health.
Across the hall, a preview to next semester’s Free Farmer’s Market offered free tomato, turnip, pepper seeds and more. Produce for the farm market won’t be harvested until the summer, but in the meantime, students can grow their own.
From September to November, Health Promotion hosts a Free Farmer’s Market on the quad every Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students take home a variety of free produce, pick up educational materials about health and nutrition and sample meals prepared by Dining Services. Produce is grown by students over the summer and harvested in the fall.
The seeds were donated by Rebecca Brown, who oversees produce grown for the market at Agronomy Farm. Seeds came with a biodegradable starter pot and canvas bags promoting the market for the fall season.
Some events will still be available this weekend, including a “Make A First Aid Kit” workshop in the Memorial Union on Friday from noon to 3 p.m., and a Good Deeds Day Campus Cleanup in partnership with URI Hillel on Sunday at noon. For more information about National Public Health week, visit the URI website.
