UCA’s Occupational Therapy department transformed the Student Center Ballroom into a tropical luau Tuesday for its annual open house during x-period.
“This was the first year we had a theme,” Linda Musselman, chair of the occupational therapy department, said.
She said this year the open house, which is usually held in the occupational therapy building, was held in the Student Center instead because the OT building is currently being renovated.
“It’s nice to have more space,” she said. “It gets pretty wild. There are different aspects of OT set up all around the room. The neat thing is, there are stations where faculty members are demonstrating equipment and participants can try to do it.”
Jessica Bisbee, a third year OT student, helped with the open house. She manned the station that used children’s toys to help with sensory integration and fine motor skills.
“These toys are used as ‘hand fidgets’ that organize a child’s nervous system and helps them to pay attention,” she said. “When working with children, we incorporate toys and play because play is a child’s occupation.”
Erin Poerschke, a third year OT student, pushed “Buck” around in a wheelchair.
“‘Buck’ is the splint dummy,” she said. “He demonstrates all the different types of splints.”
Assistant OT professor Mark Willey said 100 students attended the open house.
“I’m glad we’re in the Student Center,” he said. “We grew too big for the OT building. Most of the students who applied this year will come in.”
He said the OT program is highly competitive and each year only 48 of the over 100 students who apply are accepted.
“It is definitely beneficial for the applicants to attend,” he said. “They can meet the faculty, meet the other students and find out more information about what goes on in the profession. All different areas of OT are represented at the open house.”
Freshman Dustin Strecker said he was glad he went to the open house this year, even though he isn’t applying until next year.
“I wanted to see what OT is all about; the day to day functions,” he said. “The open house was great. It gave me an idea of what to expect when I get in the program.”
Mysti Drinkwater, a third year OT student, had a large group of students at her geriatrics and health promotion station. Volunteers were given a fall assessment demonstration.
“We give them goggles that impair their vision,” Drinkwater said. “Then they do a series of actions, such as going from sitting to standing, standing on one foot and turning around three times.”