Incoming students will have a variety of health information available to them this fall, thanks to a poster currently being produced by Health Enhancement Services.

The poster includes such items as safe drinking levels, safer sex guidelines and tips on eating well. It also lists NIU resources and emergency telephone numbers.

The poster contains “information to help students promote their own health and help prevent disease,” said Amy Havasi, health educator for HES.

This is the second year HES has created this type of poster. Some of the information on this year’s poster was taken from a survey HES conducted last spring. Some new information also is included, such as where on campus students can receive condoms.

HES is in the process of gathering student response and input before the poster design is finalized. After not getting enough students to participate in a focus group meeting on the poster design, HES is considering talking to a summer session class to get student input.

Michael Haines, coordinator of Health Enhancement Services, said HES is using the principles of social marketing, in which business marketing principles are applied to human services, in order to promote the poster. HES wants the student reaction in order to create a poster to which students will be most receptive. Haines said HES is “in the business of selling good health.”

Once the poster design is finalized, they will be displayed throughout campus, especially in the residence halls. HES is also hoping to include them in new student welcome packets. This is in an effort to make incoming students aware of how to live a healthy lifestyle in their new school environment.

Visual Communications student David Janicek is helping with the design of the poster. Several students have submitted photos, although the final ones to be used have not yet been selected.