For the past four years, the Department of Resident Life has held the Terps Take Care Fair — a mental health fair for students at the University of Maryland. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the event was held virtually this year.
The fourth annual fair was held on Oct. 7 and featured different interactive activities for students to participate in. Activities included meditation and self-care tips, according to the Terps Take Care Fair webpage. Students had the opportunity to log onto different Zoom links to choose the events they wanted to participate in and discuss various ways to improve mental health.
During the meditation labyrinth, students would usually walk through an actual maze, but this year, students walked through a picture of a maze with their minds. The purpose of this activity was to develop senses and learn to understand how surroundings impact people.
The Maryland Insurance Administration also hosted an event to provide insight into how to obtain insurance. Kejuana Walton, a consumer educator and advocate at Maryland Insurance Administration, said that it is important for students to understand various insurance policies.
“When you are young your knowledge about health insurance may be limited because your insurance is taken care of by your parents, but it is vital for students to learn the risk factors of their actions and how it can affect you later in life,” Walton said.
In past years, the event has taken place at Hornbake Plaza. Since the event went virtual this year, organizers faced a challenge in attracting the same levels of attendance from advertising alone.
Around 25-50 people attended the virtual fair, which was much lower than in previous years, Leslie Kraft, coordinator of the event, said.
The Department of Resident Life continues to provide outlets for students during these difficult times. During the month of October, they planned a sidewalk chalk art event and a scavenger hunt, Kraft said. The events were held outside and were socially distanced to comply with COVID-19 precautions.
“I do think that mental health is more important than ever, and people are struggling more than ever, but I also think that we’re struggling on the other end with how to provide opportunities,” Kraft said. Students can still access the activities, resources and videos from the Terps Take Care Fair here.