Students learn about stress management and hydration at Perelman Quad block party

Water pong and pinnies marked Penn’s own celebration of National Public Health Week in Perelman Quad April 4.

National Public Health Week is a nation-wide event aimed at bringing attention to health and wellness through daily themes. The theme for the event was mental health.

The Student Health Advisory Board acknowledged the event at Penn by holding a block party to raise awareness of basic health needs, including hydration and stress management.

In between classes or during their lunch break, students played games like “water pong,” which promoted the importance of staying hydrated. They also participated in an activity where people could write down what stresses them out on a water balloon and throw it, to symbolize defeating stress and anxiety.

There was also a survey for students to fill out about what causes them stress and how they manage it. Students submitted these surveys into a raffle to win a massage.

SHAB also handed out free T-shirts and hats by upcoming brand ’47 and SHAB tank tops to participants in the games.

College junior Ovie Onobrakpeya played a round of water pong and “loved it.”

“I’d heard of [SHAB], but I’d never really gotten this much information,” he said. “This was the first time I was actually drawn to come over here and check it out.”

College junior Derek Osei-Bonsu agreed, adding the event was effective in gaining students’ attention. “The music playing [and] free stuff, right outside of Houston Hall where every student comes in and out of at least like once a day — it’s a prime retail spot.”

Representatives from Penn’s Department of Recreation were also at the block party to promote Pottruck on 37th and Walnut streets and Fox Fitness Center, housed at Franklin Field.

“We offer everything from personal training services, group exercise classes, different dance classes, pilates, yoga … anything that’s housed under recreation,” Chris Policastro, assistant direction of Fitness & Wellness at the Department of Recreation said.

Dan Bradley, assistant director of Recreation of the Department of Recreation and Overseer of the Fox Fitness Center said, “We’re just spreading awareness of what our programs involve … We try to get a good outreach with the Penn community.”

Policastro and Bradley also promoted PennFit, a selection of fitness and wellness programs that are free to Penn students.

Bradley added that the center “is for everyone. I find that a lot of people don’t know it exists over there, [but] anyone that has a membership can go use it.”

College and Wharton freshman, SHAB Board Member and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist Robert Hsu said he was pleased with the outcome of the day. “At one point there were people at all the survey computers, and we had a line going,” he said. “We also got rid of all the T-shirts!”

Osei-Bonsu said he definitely got something out of the block party. “You can’t go wrong with free merchandise!”

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