BY JESSALYN KIRCHHOFF
GRAPHIC BY HANNAH KITZMANN
The Health and Human Performance (HHP) Club at FHSU was established in 2015 as a professional development organization on campus that aimed to provide Health and Human Performance majors with opportunities and guidance in real-world experiences.
HHP Club is also a group constantly looking for new ways to be active within the Hays community and focuses on ways to make a positive impact in the field of Health and Human Performance.
Jessica Confer, 2021-2022 president for HHP Club and an active member of the club since her Sophomore year in 2020, says the club was started in an attempt to bring like-minded individuals together.
“The purpose of creating this organization was to bring individuals together who had the same interests related to the Health and Human Performance field,” Confer said.
Ashlyn Norris, current Health and Human Performance Club President, said while members are expected to maintain a 2.0 GPA and pay a yearly fee of $5.00 to stay registered as a current member, the HHP Club consists of any and all Health and Human Performance majors.
“Individuals enrolled in majors including Exercise Science, Health Promotion and Fitness Programming, Sport and Exercise Therapy, Teaching and Coaching K-12, and Recreating/Sports Management are all welcome within the HHP Club,” Norris said.
Confer builds off of Norris’ initial statement on membership requirements.
“Although you must be majoring in a Health and Human Performance field, we welcome everyone within those majors to join our club,” Confer said. “Mrs. Walters, HHP Club advisor, does a terrific job at encouraging students in her classes to come sit in on one of our meetings and possibly join the club.”
Norris then goes on to speak on the multiple advantages that being an HHP Club member entails.
“We offer multiple volunteer opportunities, guidance in real-world experiences and situations, the ability to create connections with professionals as well as other club members, and the chance to construct a positive influence on campus and in extension, the HHP field,” Norris said.
Confer says the Health and Human Performance Club tries to participate with other clubs, or organizations, as much as possible.
Norris gives a prime example of this crossover-club-coordination by stating that while she has only served as the HHP Club President for one semester, participating in the Yogathon – a fundraiser for cancer patients of Ellis County – and being involved with the Fall Festival – a volunteer opportunity offered through student engagement – have been the most memorable HHP Club events thus far.
“Combining something you enjoy doing (yoga) and a good cause (raising money for patients) brings happiness to me,” she said. “At the Fall Festival, the club handed candy out to trick-or-treaters. It was definitely rewarding to see children’s eyes light up as they came to our table. I have also very much enjoyed working alongside the other elected officers on both of these events.”
Confer agrees with Norris in the respect that helping others through HHP has been her favorite aspect of being involved with the club.
“One of my favorite moments of being involved in HHP Club is putting on our yearly triathlon, where we, as a club, raise money for an individual in our community or in the surrounding area to help with traveling or medical expenses,” Confer said. “It was such a rewarding opportunity to help put on this activity.”
Although the club is highly involved on campus and is open to all HHP majors, Confer says the club struggles with internal member participation.
“It’s hard to find dedicated club members who show up to every meeting and actively participate in discussion,” she said. “Of course that does not pertain to everyone, but we have noticed a decline in the past couple of semesters and we are looking to boost it back up.”
Confer encourages all students to get involved with whatever they are interested in
“I believe students need to explore the different activities and clubs that our university offers. It’s easy to say ‘it looks good on a resume,’ but being a part of clubs or organizations or events is so much more than a line on your resume,” Confer said. “Being active within the FHSU community helps form relationships with other students and professors.”
Norris gives a variety of reasons as to why she believes it is important to be involved on campus as a student.
“Being involved on campus allows one to establish meaningful connections, such as friendships or even potential employers. Involvement on campus also provides the opportunity for an individual to advocate for something they are passionate about,” Norris said. “Campus involvement is a positive way to enhance the university and the college experience as a whole. I encourage all students to become involved at Fort Hays State University, whether it be a club/organization, art, or sport.”
The Health and Human Performance Club has an upcoming meeting scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday in Cunningham Hall Room 146 (CH146). They host meetings on the second Tuesday of each month.
HHP Club will also have its primary Spring semester event coming up. This Spring event is a triathlon in which teams of three people may be created in order to participate in a swimming, biking, and walking/running event. All proceeds are donated to the beneficiary of an individual in need.
For more information on the Health and Human Performance (HHP) Club as well as their upcoming Spring 2023 Triathlon Fundraiser, you can check out their Tigerlink at https://tigerlink.fhsu.edu/organization/hhp or contact the HHP Club President, Ashlyn Norris at aknorris2@mail.fhsu.edu