Wonder for all: A day of hands-on health adventures
Community members of all ages explored the University of Arizona campus, engaging in health and humanities activities at the second annual Wellness and Wonder showcase.
Laurel Zivic, left, and her younger sister, Roselyn, were part of a crowd of about 300 who enjoyed the second annual Wellness and Wonder event on the U of A campus.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
Asher Doolittle took the strip of white paper and dropped it in his mouth.
It didn’t take long before he wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue.
What did the paper taste like?
Asher Doolittle, 7, discovered he’s a supertaster during a BIO5 Institute activity and had a pretty strong reaction to the bitter taste of his paper test strip. His mom, Jan Lee, found out she is not a supertaster.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
“It tastes like …” Asher scrunched up his face and smacked his lips, “human flesh.”
OoooooooK. And that’s what you get when you interview a 7-year-old.
Turns out, Asher is a supertaster. That means he’s ultra-sensitive to bitter foods like coffee and raw broccoli. His tasting exercise was part of a hands-on science activity he participated in at the University of Arizona’s Wellness and Wonder event on Sept. 20.
About 300 people, from toddlers to retirees, attended the second annual community wellness expo and educational showcase at the U of A, according to Alex Dubois, associate director of engagement and events for the U of A Health Sciences.
“It’s an invitation to the community to enter the world of U of A Health Sciences through tours, interactive hands-on exhibits, presentations and just exploring campus,” said Annemarie Medina, MBA, director of corporate and community relations for the U of A Health Sciences. “Our goal is to educate and engage the community and inspire the next generation of health care providers.”
Visitors had a chance to browse various displays, grab a set of drumsticks and participate in a drumming circle, dance, stroll through the Arizona Simulation Technology and Education Center, paint clay tiles at ArtWorks and take part in a creative-writing workshop. U of A faculty members and students helped people explore the interconnections of wonder, well-being, health and the humanities — even assisting them in discovering if they’re supertasters.
Chris Childers, PT, PhD, founding director of the U of A Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, not pictured, led participants through a dance as part of the Wellness and Wonder activities.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
At the BIO5 Institute, eventgoers watched a short movie that explained what it means to be a supertaster, a genetic trait in which people have a higher number of taste buds than average. The fact that her son is one came as no surprise to Jan Lee. She, by the way, didn’t taste anything but paper.
“He is picky,” she said of Asher with a laugh.
Wellness and Wonder was popular with parents like Megan and Steven Zivic, who brought their daughters Laurel, 9, and Roselyn, 7, to explore and learn.
Megan Zivic, who used to work in a geochronology lab at the U of A College of Science Department of Geosciences, said she was excited to take the girls on lab tours.
“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s great getting them exposure to health and wellness.”
U of A alum and retired pharmacy faculty member Martha Fankhauser led people through the Coit Museum of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, including the Upjohn Pharmacy collection, which was on display in Disneyland’s Main Street USA from 1955 to 1970. Fankhauser said she remembers seeing the Upjohn collection there as a girl.
As a youngster who grew up roaming the aisles of the pharmacy her dad owned in Kansas, Fankhauser said it’s especially fun for her to introduce others to the past through pharmaceutical artifacts.
Andrew Ecker, left, and Monica Patton, right, lead eventgoers through a drumming session at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.
Photo by Noelle Haro-Gomez, U of A Health Sciences Office of Communications
“I feel like I have a responsibility to help out,” she said. “Plus, it’s fun to meet the public.”
U of A premed students Koushita Valluru and Minh Tu attracted visitors to the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson Arizona Climate and Health table with a cardboard SpongeBob SquarePants. The duo decided to use the cartoon character to explain how the body’s digestive system is interconnected with the world.
“We want to teach kids that the food they eat is not just impacting them; it’s also impacting the environment,” said Tu, a sophomore studying molecular and cellular biology. “So, foods that are sprayed with pesticides or foods that are grown in very polluted areas — it is all connected with the environment and their bodies. We want them to make more informed decisions when choosing a food they want to eat.”
The concept is part of the One Health Research Initiative. Valluru, a sophomore studying biology, said it’s important to make sure people are as knowledgeable as possible and understand that the health of the environment, animals and humans are all related.
“It’s a way to look at what is happening to the food that you're eating before you eat it and how all of that affects your own health as well,” Valluru said. “It’s a great way to connect all those dots for people.”