Tag Archives: health

Pulse 2016: All You Need to Know

March 14, 2016Clubs, Events, On Campus, Philanthropy2016, alissa, awareness, Clubs, dance, depression, donate, Events, friday, fun, health, huang, joanna, juanna, kasi, malysmiuk, mental, mental health, mirochnitchenko, oolagen, Philanthropy, pre-medical society, pulse, sewraj, stigma, university of toronto, UofT, victoriaKasi Sewraj

“Mental health is tricky because its about really knowing who you are and being able to say that you need help in a surrounding where you think so many other people are stable.”-Sophia Shim

Needless to say, it takes a lot of courage to ask for help.

One of the most challenging parts of dealing with mental health is coming to terms with the fact that no one is invincible. On the outside, we may seem on top of everything, put together, ahead of the game and confident, but on the inside, no one knows how we truly are feeling. Coming to the realization that we must take care of our minds as much as we take care of our bodies is something that society has not come to terms with yet. We’ve seen the major changes that things like the introduction of the Health & Wellness centre at the University of Toronto, as well as the addition of Mental Health Awareness Month – and it’s about time. More and more students seem to catching on to the progress that the university has made. “On campus there are many options if you are in need of help, whether it be provided by your college or UofT as a whole”, says second year student, Sophia Shim.

One initiative, founded by Joanna Huang and Michael Bray of the University of Toronto aims to create a sense of community in the Toronto student population and encourage discussion about mental health in the GTA. Pulse, founded in 2013, has fundraised for three years to bring attention and create a positive space for discussing mental health in our community. “There is nothing I am more passionate about as I am mental health. It’s an issue that touches the lives of everybody, in one way or another.”, says Joanna, “The entire topic is muffled. It’s blanketed by a thick layer of societal stigma, and completely devalued. People don’t talk about it. I’ve struggled with my own mental health, and I find it very difficult to talk about. But I have no trouble talking about a sprained foot, so why should this be any different?”

Since it’s founding, Pulse has been partnered with Oolagen, a Toronto based organization who’s mission is to “listen, engage, assist, and empower young people to recognize their own strength and values”. Located on 65 Wellesley Street East, Oolagen provides counselling services for all ages and provide residential homes for people aged 14-18. Oolagen also provides on site school support in for three different Toronto high schools, giving students access to mental health services when they cannot otherwise. “[Ooolagen is] also planning to expand their services to cover university-aged youth”, says University of Toronto Pre-Medical co-president Alissa Mirochnitchenko. The Pre-Medical Society is partnered with Pulse as one of their main supporters on campus.

www.pulsetoronto,com — Pulse is on the 18th – get your tickets at www.pulsetoronto.com

Both Oolagen and Pulse are promoting mental health and discussion to Toronto, and have been gaining momentum ever since their start. “Pulse 2015 has raised over $2000.00 for Oolagen… This year, we will strive to surpass our previous earnings and continue to further increase awareness for mental health!” says Pre-Medical Society Co-President Victoria Malysmiuk. On March 18, Pulse and Oolagen are partnering again to bring an amazing fundraiser to Orchid Nightclub. As the campaign’s slogan states, “Good music. Good company. Good cause”, it’s sure to be a fun evening for an important charity. “We hope that our annual fundraiser, Pulse, remains a reminder for individuals to critically think about their own mental health and seek help if they feel out of balance.” Says Victoria and Alissa.“I think that my biggest goal this year was to make the discourse around mental health positive- we are all students and we all understand that university can be physically, mentally and emotionally draining at times. In my eyes, events like PULSE are important because it brings students together to have positive, happy experiences.”

Additional information about Pulse, Oolagen, and this year’s charity fundraiser can be found at the following sites:

www.pulsetoronto.com

https://www.facebook.com/events/1537362533224023/

http://oolagen.org/

We hope to see you on the 18^th!

High Park Nutrition Wants To Help You Handle Stress!

March 29, 2012Contestsanti-stress, health, lotions, nutrition, scents, stressLeah Henrickson

blogUT is teaming up with High Park Nutrition for a second time to give away another gift basket full of wellness goodies! This time, it’s all about banishing pesky exam stress.

To win the basket pictured above, all you have to do is comment on this post, answering the following question:

What tips do you have for other students about managing stress?

Comments will be accepted up until 11:59pm on Thursday, April 5th and we’ll be announcing the winning commenter’s name on Friday, April 6th. Please note that only those with a utoronto email will be entered into the draw.

Good luck to everyone, and we look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Special thanks to the wonderful people at High Park Nutrition for their generous donation.

UTSG Hosts OMWHO 2011

November 9, 2011Athletics & Health, Guest Bloggerconference, health, Health and Human Rights Conference, human rights, medicine, omwho, they go to die, who, world healthSiqi

The University of Toronto International Health Program (UTIHP) is proudly hosting the second annual the Ontario Model World Health Organization (OMWHO) Conference!

OMWHO aims to simulate General Assembly committee sessions held by the World Health Organization to promote debate and discussions around current global health topics. Additionally, the Conference features keynote speeches and panel by preeminent field leaders, as well as opportunities to network with delegates from across the province and beyond.

If you are interested in knowing how decisions in the WHO are made, learning about the hot topics in the current global health arena, or networking with other university students with similar passions, OMWHO is the event for you! Awards will be given to the top three delegates; all delegates will receive a participation certificate.

NEW!
OMWHO is now able to offer the first part of the Conference to the public to include a panel and documentary film.

The panel, focusing on issues related to access to medicines, includes:
Aria Ahmad (graduate student at the University of Toronto)
Richard Elliott (Executive Director at the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network)
Jonathan Smith (epidemiologist and documentary film director of They Go To Die

After the panel we will be showing the first portion of Jonathan’s documentary, which focuses on human rights concerns in the South African mining industry, following four former mineworkers who were sent home after contracting drug-resistant tuberculosis with no prospect of treatment or care.

Please join us!
Friday, November 11 at 2:30-5pm
Music Room, Hart House, University of Toronto
Space limited. Price: $5.00
RSVP to

Interview: Juxtaposition Global Health Magazine

October 9, 2011Clubs, On Campusglobal health, health, hiv/aids, juxtaposition, magazine, print, publicationDanielle | Featured Blogger

Juxtaposition Global Health Magazine is a University of Toronto student-run publication which produces two issues annually focusing on global health issues. This year, Juxtaposition is reaching out to students to submit their own articles and get informed through a new social networking initiative helmed by their new administrative associate and social networker, Molly McGillis, who I was happy to sit down with to talk to about the magazine.

Give me a bit of background about Juxtaposition.

Juxtaposition was founded in 2004 by Kadia Petricca and Michelle Chakkalackal here at U of T. Kadia is actually back this year as Editor-in-Chief of the Editorial Division while she finishes up her PhD in Global Health Policy. They sought to create a forum to engage student interest in addressing global health issues from a multidisciplinary lens. The magazine was originally published in an online format, but through a number of partnerships and collaborations with college, departments and research bodies on and off campus, was able to secure funds over the past four years to become print.

The name ‘Juxtaposition’ comes from the verb ‘to juxtapose’, which is the act of placing two or more things side by side. Wherever possible, Juxtaposition seeks to include contrasting perspectives on global health issues in a wider social, economic, political, and legal context. All issues aim to highlight pertinent and controversial topics in the field of global health through the perspectives of students, researchers and alumni at U of T and beyond. The latest Spring 2011 issue, ‘Movers and Shakers’, offered perspectives from those working abroad of the ethics and challenges of working in the field. In particular, Dr. Raghu Venngopal provided an account of his experiences with Doctors Without Borders in addition to a photo essay by Charlotte Hunter, who documented her experiences in one Namibian Hospital confronting the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Why should students be interested in the magazine?

We live in a global society, meaning that events and phenomena that happen across the globe will ultimately impact us all in some way. The magazine provides insight into critical topics that have long-term implications on society, politics, and economics, and we hope that the magazine will inspire readers to seek further information and try to make change.

Furthermore, it’s important for me to add that the scope of the magazine isn’t limited to third-world issues: it’s global health. For instance, the most recent issue contains articles about psychological issues, pollution, and health care reform in North America. They’re issues that affect us, and issues we can try to do something about no matter where they are rooted.

Where can students find Juxtaposition on the web?

Juxtaposition has a website where one can find all of our current and past publications, as well as calls for submissions: www.juxtaposition.sa.utoronto.ca. We also have a Twitter feed which will aim to broadcast global health-related events occurring on and off campus, as well as updates about the magazine and submission calls: www.twitter.com/juxtamagazine. We will follow you back! Look out for more links as we expand our social networking through our Twitter feed.

What are you looking for in terms of submissions, and when and where should they be sent?

For submissions, the deadline for the upcoming issue is October 21, and there are a lot of topics which writers can consider publishing, including articles on bio-technology, peace and conflict, and healthcare policy. Please visit our website for submission guidelines!

Thanks to Molly and Juxtaposition Global Health Magazine.

Taking Control of Stress

September 12, 2011Athletics & Health, Survival Tipshealth, healthy, stress, stressful, wellnessannette

Stress – it affects all of us, some more than others. At times, university students may find themselves under more stress than most people. Aside from midterm and exam seasons, student stress is so much more complex. First year students feel the stress of having to adjust to a new school, second year students face the internal dilemma of having to choose their subject POSts, those in third year worry about what courses to take, and students in their fourth, fifth, and sixth years are stressed about convocation and the aftermath of their undergraduate studies. Regardless of the predicament, lean back and relax – here are five straightforward strategies that will help you keep your stress under control.

1. Take a deep breath. When you find yourself in a stressful situation, remember to breathe. Reflect and think clearly and critically. There is always a reason why stress was triggered in the first place. What is the cause of this stress? How can you deal with the current problem, and what can be done differently next time to avoid it?
2. Eat healthy. Pigging out on junk food is no way to deal with stress and, on the flip side, starving is not the solution either. Aim to have three healthy and balanced meals each day. Healthy food will help enhance neuron activity in the brain and will aid in activities such as studying.
3. Stay active. Take a yoga class, work out at the gym, brush up on your Taekwondo, or do whatever something else that’s more your cup of tea. Not only is exercise a key component of body fitness, it also helps reduce stress.
4. Organize your time. Stress often arises unnecessarily due to a lack of effective time management skills. The solution? Start a to-do list and make sure to assign deadlines for tasks. Keep your list updated. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen is a book available at Kelly Library and at other libraries on campus. As the title suggests, the content of this book will assist in the achievement of stress-free performance through analysis of numerous personal organizational strategies such as goal reassessments and how to stay focused when a challenging situation arises.
5. Take advantage of the University of Toronto’s services. Stress can be overwhelming, but the good news is that help is just around the corner. The U of T Office of Student Life offers a number of on-campus resources to help you succeed, which include Accessibility Services, the Career Centre, Counselling and Psychological Services, and more. Check out www.studentlife.utoronto.ca to learn more about the Office of Student Life and its departments. For academic success services, the Academic Resource Centre offers workshops that will help develop academic skills. Workshops topics include time management, dealing with procrastination, exam preparation and writing, stress management, and so forth. Keep an eye out for these activities and check out other services at the Academic Resource Centre by visiting www.asc.utoronto.ca.

These five strategies will help you deal with and prevent stress. However, while these strategies look good on paper, in practice, stress management can be a challenge. Work on it and you’ll soon find yourself experiencing less and less stress. When stressful situations do arise, the main thing to remember to stay cool and, if necessary, to seek the necessary help.

Have a great, stress-free academic year!

Movember

November 3, 2010Philanthropyawareness, health, moustache, Movember, November, Philanthropy, prostate cancerfrancesca | Featured Blogger

What do you get when you combine moustaches and the month of November? The answer? You get something called “Movember”. If this is your first time hearing this I know what you’re thinking, “What the heck is ‘Movember’? And what the heck do moustaches and November have to do with each other?”

Movember is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness for prostate cancer. It combines the month November with the slang for moustache, ‘mo’. Although it started out in 2003 as an inside joke to bring back moustaches and do something for men’s health, it has grown into a global movement. In fact, in 2009 the Canadian campaign was able to raise $7.8 million in honour of Prostate Cancer Canada!

For the entire month of November, men who in this case are called mo’ bros are challenged to grow their own ‘stache in order to raise awareness about prostate cancer. On the 1st of Movember, they are to start out freshly shaven and for the next month allow their ‘stache to grow out.

While this campaign seems to be aimed strictly at the mo’ bros, women (appropriately named mo’ sistas) can also help; mo’ sistas can help their mo’ bros to create a team and spread the word about prostate cancer. Each team or individual mo’ bro will raise funds that go straight to Prostate Cancer Canada which will aid them in doing further research, testing, and support groups for men with prostate cancer. Now I know it’s already the 3rd day of Movember, but it’s never too late to get active with this creative and informative initiative. So mo’ bros get out there and grow that ‘stache! As for my mo’ sistas, support this movement by donating to someone participating in Movember and just spread the word!

For more information please visit: movember

Health and Human Rights Conference 2010

March 8, 2010Events, On Campus, Philanthropy, Politics, We've Got IssuesAndrew Pinto, Ben Peterson, George Roter, health, Health and Human Rights Conference, human rights, Jason Saul, University of Toronto International Health Program, UTIHPjustine abigail

This weekend on March 5th and 6th, the students of the University of Toronto International Health Program (UTIHP) hosted the Health and Human Rights Conference at the J.J.R. MacLeod Auditorium. Gathering a smorgasbord of scholars, professionals, thought-leaders, and concerned and socially-conscious youth, the HHRights Conference was a two day affair that sought to tackle the crucial but highly problematic issue of international aid and development. Asking hard questions about the current impact of aid, its current flaws, and potential solutions, the event generated truly thought-provoking and insightful discussions and conversations. Some highlights include:

1. Opening performance of “Broken Land – A Song for Haiti” by JC and Karim.

I have no idea who these guys are (fellow U of T students, I presume) but what a way to start the conference! A soulful performance with equally riveting lyrics that set the mood for the rest of the evening. Have a listen to the song here…

2. Opening Keynote presented by George Roter

Engineers without Borders Co-founder and Co-CEO George Roter kick started the event by sharing his experiences during his time in various African countries, drawing the link between the rather abstract theme of aid and development to its human connection. After all, as he said, the conference is “about these human beings living in extraordinarily challenging conditions who want to see change for the better”. With a brief history of the development of aid and highlighting specific thought starters, George set the context for the conference reminding the audience that “we need to go beyond the idea of charity and start thinking about [aid] as opportunity, as partnership”.

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