SEHA helps raise awareness for environmental health majors
Students can now further explore the environmental health field through a new registered student organization; the Student Environmental Health Association.
“The environmental health major was just accredited by the National Environmental Health Association,” said Casey Glynn, a Midland senior and president of SEHA. "Now that it’s accredited, (the university) thought it would be a good idea for us to start this organization."
Glynn hopes the RSO will promote and attract more students to the health professions program.
“We want to get people interested in environmental health and show how it’s applicable in life and explore different career options,” Glynn said. “For the environmental health majors, it’s also sort of a social support group where we can share internship information and contacts and do activities to prepare us for our career.”
Northville senior and SEHA Officer Shelby Foerg hopes the RSO will debunk misconceptions about the profession.
“A lot of students don’t understand what it’s about," she said. "They hear environmental and think 'green,' but that’s not what we do. Every business needs someone to manage their waste or their water treatment. It’s a major that you can get a job with right away or go to grad school with.”
The academic club strives to provide a learning atmosphere through fun activities. One way they have done this is with a mock epidemiology study of "the zombie virus."
“Epidemiology is the study of population medicine as whole, instead of just individuals," Glynn said. "We had the infection happen in Vancouver and performed interviews with friends and family members of those infected to see what they all had in common. It’s kind of like detective work almost."
Each person received a character and checked off locations where people were exposed. At the end, checkmarks were compared and other influences were examined to determine where the exposure had started.
“It makes you take double look and see that what seems obvious might not be what really happened,” Foerg said.
SEHA is planning games surrounding zoonotic, or inter-species diseases and a tour of the Michigan Brewing Company at future meetings.
“Our activities are fun," Foerg said. "You’re not just going to be sitting in a lecture. It can only be a positive experience if students join us"
