FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oct. 27, 2006

Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins

(662) 329-7124

 

MAHPERD conference to cover a range of health and wellness topics

 

            COLUMBUS, Miss. – A two-day conference at Mississippi University for Women will feature professionals in the areas of health and wellness, including public sessions by Dr. Edward J. Hill, past president of the American Medical Association, and Emil and Karen Huff Pawlik, both National Senior Olympic track stars.

            The Mississippi Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD) will hold its annual convention Nov. 2-4. This year’s theme is “Health and Wellness: Bring It On!”

            About 300 participants are expected to attend, according to Dr. Joyce Yates, 2006 MAHPERD president and MUW professor of health and kinesiology, who noted approximately 50 sessions will provide information on a multitude of health, physical education, recreation, dance and other health-related topics.

            “This is the first MAHPERD convention in the North Mississippi area. Previously Jackson and the Mississippi Gulf Coast have been the conference locations,” Yates said. “The MAHPERD convention provides an excellent opportunity for this area to show its support for having the state conference in Columbus and at MUW.”

            The first session open to the community will be a presentation by Shane McNeill, who is with the Mississippi Department of Education. He will discuss Implementing the Wellness Policy on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. in Cochran Hall, room 303. The 2004 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act requires every school to develop and implement a local school wellness policy. This session will assist schools as they begin to move from development to implementation.

            The first general session, which is free and open to the community, will feature Dr. Hill, who will address obesity issues and “Promoting Health and Wellness in the State of Mississippi.” Hill has served in a variety of leadership positions in other medical organizations. He has been chairman of the board of trustees and president of the Mississippi State Medical Association, president of the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians and alternate delegate as well as delegate to the American Academy of Family Physicians and president of the Southern Medical Association. This event will be held on Friday, Nov. 3 and will begin at 8 a.m. in Parkinson Hall Nissan Auditorium.

                        Other highlights on Friday:

·         A demonstration by Miller’s Tae Kwon Do Martial Arts, 7:30 a.m., Parkinson Hall Nissan Auditorium

·         Michael Cordier on the hottest GeoFitness moves, 9 a.m., MSMS Gym

·         A Health and the Media Panel featuring presenters from the local media, 10 a.m., Cochran Ballroom

·         Marion McEwen on Pilates/Yoga, 2:30 p.m. MSMS Gym

·         Barbara Daniels on You Don’t Have to be Irish to Ceili Dance, 4:30 p.m., MSMS Gym

            Master’s track and field athletes Pawlik and Huff will kick off the second general session on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 8 a.m. in Parkinson Hall Nissan Auditorium. Pawlik holds American and world records in a number of track and field events and is the current world record holder in the decathlon for men 65-69. Huff was the U.S. Open Women’s javelin in 1962 at age 19 and has won multiple Master’s championships in javelin and shot put. The session is open to the community.

            Activities scheduled for Saturday:

·         A presentation by University of Southern Mississippi graduate students on Dartfish, a software tool used to analyze digital video, 9 a.m. Cochran Hall, room 303

·         Franceen Friefield and Celia Daniels on The Balanced Way nutrition program for college students, 9 a.m., Cochran Hall, room 306

·         Cheri Anglin on Waltz for Dummies, 10 a.m., MSMS Gym

·         Gail Dickinson on Snack Attack and BellyRobics, 11 a.m., MSMS Gym

            Yates added, “Community lay people will benefit greatly from the information that is available on personal wellness. Many of the programs are specifically designed to meet the needs of the lay public.”

            A complete convention schedule is posted at http://www.msahperd.com/newweb/convention.htm. For additional information about registration or the convention, please contact Yates at (662) 241-7669 or email jyates@muw.edu.