As the fourth week of classes comes to a close, the “Muhlenplague” has struck campus yet again. Every year, Muhlenberg experiences what students would call a “plague,” where mass numbers from the student body fall ill. This is typically an extremely busy time of year for the Health Center, where students are coming in with “mostly URI [Upper Respiratory Infection] symptoms, including headache, fever, runny nose and cough,” said Kelly Powell, a nurse at the Health Center. 

The reason for this “plague” hitting ‘Berg year after year, Powell explained, is due to communal living and sharing spaces with lots of students, in addition to various ranges of susceptibility that students have to illness.

In efforts to promote all the Health Center and surrounding Allentown community does to ensure the student body’s health and safety, the College held a Health and Wellness Fair, which took place on Friday, Sept. 13. The fair showcased resources from across the Lehigh Valley, including the Allentown Health Bureau, Fuel the Fire, Turning Point, the Juvenile Probation Department, the Crime Victims Counsel, nurses from the Lehigh Valley Health Network and many more. 

“Health habits are up to the individual,” said Christian Nemeh ‘22, “but [the college is] good at educating and warning students and providing proper supplies and services.” 

Students had the opportunity to educate themselves on ways to keep healthy, as well as meet members from the surrounding Allentown community. A number of organizations partner with the college to provide resources, classes and services for students throughout the academic year. 

Jilly Lissner ‘21 felt that the fair was a “really great way for the Muhlenberg and Allentown community to come together and support all aspects of health.”

With a rising number of students getting sick, the fair seemed to come at an appropriate time; however, many students were unaware of what the Health Fair was prior to Friday. One of those students was Sam Rothstein ‘21, who experienced the fair for the first time. Rothstein “didn’t know of all the resources near campus” and now feels that every student should stop by to learn more about how to keep themselves healthy and safe. 

Photo credit: Ella Bruck

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