By Khaelle Harris/Cardinal Points
SUNY Plattsburgh’s Thrive Fest brought together campus departments, student support services, community organizations and community resources on Sept. 10, giving students the opportunity to learn about resources available both on and off campus while interacting with the staff behind them.
For Kristina Moquin, Mental health counselor in the Student Health and Counseling Center, having that accessibility is one of the most valuable parts of the event.
“So many times a lot of our work just keeps us in the center,” Moquin said. “At events like this, we actually get to get out and meet other people from other departments and see the other students who don’t just come in to see us.”
Moquin said that the event also gave students an opportunity to become familiar with the services available to them.
Sophomore Taliyah Younger attended because her professor assigned it for class, but gained something from it. Younger said it was her first time learning about the many resources represented on campus. She said the self-care packages at the Trio Student Support Services table stood out to her the most.
Sophomore Sylvester Davis also attended because of a class assignment. Before coming to the event, Davis said that he wasn’t familiar with the events like Thrive Fest because he hasn’t been involved in many activities on campus.
He said that he liked that each organization had its own table and was organized. Davis said he was also drawn to TRIO’s self-care table.
Davis said he felt that more students should attend events like Thrive Fest.
For Sciria Thompson, a junior at SUNY Plattsburgh, attending was a way to be more involved on campus.
Thompson, who works in Student Support Services, said that she was already familiar with events like Thrive Fest through her own work, but said the event showed her how much SUNY Plattsburgh has to offer.
Thompson said events like Thrive Fest give students an opportunity to see change, develop conversations and become more connected to campus life.
The resources represented at Thrive fest also extended beyond the campus.
Emily Stanley, Community Impact Manager at Planned Parenthood of the North Country New York, said events like Thrive Fest give students an opportunity to learn about services available to them when they need support.
Stanley said Planned Parenthood offers resources including its Sexual Assault Services program and works with the campus community to connect people with support. Stanley said she hopes students leave the event knowing the organization is nearby and that its services are accessible to everyone.
“There is no shame in taking care of your sexual health,” Stanley said.
Athena Castro, writing skills specialist for TRIO Student Support Services said there appeared to be more people attending compared to previous years. Castro said that the event is important as students move further into this semester and begin facing challenges that may not be apparent during the first few weeks of school.
“Around the third week, students may start feeling stressed or homesick,” Castro said. “They realize they lack resources such as textbooks, money, the right meal plan or support network.”
Ariel Sookram, TRIO SSS Academic Coach said she also noticed incoming students appearing more willing to interact with different clubs, organizations and offices on campus.
Sookram said events like Thrive Fest help students become familiar with the different offices on campus and the resources they offer.
