The PHEs Open Their Doors to All
On Tuesday, Feb. 27, Whittier College’s Peer Health Educators (PHE) held an Open House event inviting students to learn more about their organization while enjoying various activities. The PHE office is located in Johnson Hall on the first floor in the LLC room, right next to the kitchen. Their office is painted a bright yellow, and the walls are lined with posters containing various wellness information and cute decorations. There was a welcoming chalkboard sign out front in light of the open house, and upon entering, you could see a few of the PHEs doing various activities.
The Open House included activities such as painting mini canvases, yard and board games, journaling, and books to read. There were massage chairs and people to come chat with. I sat down at the painting table with second-year Rebeca Diaz, one of the PHEs, and chatted with her about the goals of this event. She discussed how the main focus of the Open House is to get more students in the office and get the word out that they are here: “Peer Health Educators serve as a bridge between the students and the on campus wellness resources.” She continues by providing information on the eight types of wellness: spiritual, physical, environmental, intellectual, emotional, occupational, social, and financial, and how the PHEs focus on each type.
The PHEs frequently hosted events and tablings focused on each different type of wellness, such as the “Get Your Head in the Game Tabling” which happened on March 20.
While the Open House was not too crowded, there was plenty to do and lots to learn. After painting a canvas and chatting with Diaz, I came back later in the day and signed up for a chair massage. My 15 minutes in the chair were pretty spectacular, and I would recommend everyone to go try them out. The PHE office is also a great place to study and just unwind. I sat in one of the chairs, made myself some tea, which they always provide for students, and chatted with second-year PHE Emily Perez-Medina. Perez-Medina spends a lot of time in the PHE office and talked about the space very positively, “It’s a nice place to hang out and do homework; we have snacks sometimes, and we’ll often have events in [the PHE office] run by our PHEs. Everyone in here is dedicated to making it a welcoming and safe space for the Whittier College Community.”
She wants everyone to know that they are welcome to drop in at any time. While the PHE office is open to come in without appointment, you can also make appointments with the PHEs for a review of your Clifton Strengths Assessment, which is needed for various jobs and classes on campus. The PHEs strive to promote equitable access to care on campus, so feel free to ask them any questions, and don’t be afraid to drop by their office!
The PHE office is open to all students from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Friday. You can come in anytime, whether you need someone to talk to or just want a chair massage. The PHEs are constantly hosting events and tablings, so be sure to check their Engage page and read their newest newsletter to see what is coming up!
Photo Courtesy of the PHEs
