All posts by Colleen Fitzgibbons

Teeing Off for Recreation and Wellness

Golf, Youth and Family

Starting Friday afternoon students, faculty, staff and the community tee off for the fourth annual Recreation and Wellness Fall Fundraiser at the Forrest Creason Golf Course.

“We started it as kind of a fun opportunity to get students as well as faculty and staff together to raise a little bit of money for the student employment foundation,” Kurt Thomas, Director of Golf, said.

Linda Hammer, Administrative Assistant of the Department of Recreation and Wellness, was on the winning duo-women’s team last year and had the longest drive.

“I like contributing to the RecWell Foundation and giving back to the department,” Hammer said.

With the same goal in mind of raising funds for departmental student employee recognition and professional development, Thomas said they changed how the teams are formed this year. Last year there were teams of two, but this fall teams of four compete in order to attract more players.

“It makes it a little bit easier for someone that doesn’t play golf,” Thomas said.  “Last year we had about 72 players, so we’re hoping to do more than that,”

Another difference is participants choose their teammates unlike last year; however, the teams still compete for three different categories of men, women or coed. The winners of each category receive trophies and prizes such as gift cards.

Hammer recalls winning a trophy and a few other goodies for her team win.

Thomas said everyone from students to community members can play as long as they pay the participation fee of $40 for public or $30 for students and members.

Registration starts at 11:30 a.m. along with lunch on the porch of the Forrest Creason Golf Course until the shot-gun start at 12:30 p.m.

Thomas plans on attending the event this Friday.

“I like it because it’s a fun activity,” Thomas said. “It’s a good cause for Recreation and Wellness employees in the development aspect.”

Hammer also plans on returning to the golf course this year.

“I’ve actually ‘recruited’ from outside of the department for this year’s outing,” Hammer said. “I’m looking forward to a fun time!”

Free Body Fat Testing at the Student Recreation Center

Fitness, Student Recreation Center

Students and faculty can find personal trainers every Monday night and Wednesday morning sitting at a table behind the Front Desk at the Student Recreation Center eagerly waiting conduct body composition assessments, free of charge.

The method the personal trainers at the Student Recreation Center use for the body fat testing is called Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). The trainer enters individual information into a calibrator including height, weight and age. Then the person holds onto the caliber for about five to ten seconds while a low-level electrical current passes through the body.

“Fat is an insulator so it sends a weak electrical signal through the body, so you can’t feel it,” Adam Levine, personal trainer at the Student Recreation Center said.

Personal trainer, Adam Levine

Before Levine checks participants’ body fat percentage he checks their Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a height to weight ratio; however, it is not as detailed as the body fat percentage results

“[BMI] doesn’t take lean body mass into account; it doesn’t take gender into account,” Levine said “A body-builder would appear obese on a BMI chart. And body fat percentage is the amount of fat relevant to the other tissues in the body.”

Sabreena Woods, freshman, tries to go to the Recreation Center at least four times a week and has utilized the body composition assessment twice so far this year.

“I was just curious as to what it was,” Woods said.

Matt McCarroll, sophomore, got his assessment for the first time with Levine Monday night because his friend had it done before and because he was interested in his own results.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll utilize it again,” McCarroll said.

Some students are so motivated that they try to get it checked every week; however it is not what Levine recommends.

“Sometimes I think it’s a little bit redundant because you can just do it on a scale or you can do it with your waist circumference to measure it,” Levine said. “I would say maybe once a month.”

Levine also said there are certain sources of error with the method of body fat testing such as hydration.

“Since it sends an electrical signal through your body and measures resistance, if you were to take the test when you’re dehydrated you would get certain results than if you were to chug a bunch of water and come back and take the test 10 minutes later,” Levine said. “You would actually appear leaner because the amount of conductors in your body would now be bigger than before in relation to insulators.”

Regardless of the error, Levine said he receives around 20 to 30 people in his two-hour shift of Monday nights, which he said depends on the trainer’s ability to greet and be friendly to patrons.

No matter what a person’s height or weight, anyone can come to the Student Recreation Center to have their body composition assessment on Mondays between 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Wednesday mornings between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

“It’s important to stay as fit as you can when you’re young because body fat increases with age and you to set yourself up for success and make it easier on yourself,” Levine said.

Condoms and Tree-Climbing Attract Students to the Department of Recreation and Wellness

Fitness, Outdoor Program, Student Recreation Center, Student Wellness Network, Wellness Connection

From students hanging from trees to handing out free condoms, the Department of Recreation and Wellness was well represented at this year’s Campus Fest. There were multiple tables representing each aspect of the Department such as the Wellness Connection, Outdoor Program and the Student Recreation Center.

While walking past the Department of Recreation and Wellness section students received an ear-full from Dan Mattina, Student Supervisor for the Outdoor Program, as he yelled out while hanging from a tree to lure students in.

“It’s self-promotion for free climbing at the Wall,” Mattina said.

Mattina, treasurer of the Outdoor Adventure Club, represented his organization to earn more members while also distributing approximately 150 informational flyers on the Outdoor Program to students. He promoted the new General Physical Education course; white water rafting.

Next to the guy shouting from the tree, a popular table each year at Campus Fest, was the Student Wellness Network, a student-run healthy life-styles organization known for passing out condom beads to students for free.

“We had a line of like 89 million people backed up all the way to the snow cones for condom beads.” Mindy Radabaugh, Vice President of the Student Wellness Network, said. “It was fantastic.”

The Student Wellness Network covers all types of wellness topics such as body image, sexual health, mental health, fitness, nutrition, tobacco and alcohol.

Representing all areas of recreation and wellness was Amy Sheldrick, the Administrative Secretary of the Wellness Connection.

Sheldrick said her table handed out multiple flyers on the various services and information. Sheldrick also helped conduct a fitness survey to see what group exercise classes students would be interested for the spring semester and what times they prefer to work out.

Sheldrick’s main message to students as they walk by: “Check out Recreation and Wellness; we have something to offer everyone.”

Students Welcome to Rock Climb for Free

Outdoor Program

For the first two weeks of the fall semester students can experience the outdoors in an indoor setting while getting in a good workout. 

Students are welcome to climb the Wall free of charge until Thursday, Sept. 2. The Wall is available Mondays through Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., Thursdays 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sundays 5:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.

Since the Wall has been free to students, the Outdoor Program has seen an increase in interest.

“We went through a three-year decline, Jerome Gabriel, Director of the Outdoor Program said. “Over the past year there’s been an excitement about climbing coming back.”

So far there have been at least 300 students taking advantage of the free climbing experience.

“A couple people already bought memberships even though they don’t need them yet,” Angel McFarland, Office Manager of the Outdoor Program said.

The first event of the year, Late Night at the Rec on Aug. 20, had 130 students climbing the Wall in one night.

Besides the fact that it is free, there are other reasons why students should come climb the Wall.

McFarland said it is a great place to meet new people.

“There may not be people climbing the whole time, because they are talking and meeting people,” McFarland said.

Another reason to climb the 35-foot wall is to get a good workout.

“Instead of doing bench press, go climb a rock,” Dan Mattina, junior and Outdoor Program Student Supervisor said.

Mattina uses rock climbing as part of his exercise regime after he runs around the track.

On top of getting a workout in, students can also utilize the Wall as a means to eliminate stress from their busy class schedules.

While the Wall does have some challenges, anyone can do it.

Gabriel said the Wall has adaptive climbing system rentals for those with disabilities, which local disability agencies have used.

“We’re the only place in Ohio with adaptive climbing,” McFarland said.

Starting September 5, students can purchase a pass to utilize the wall either for $25 per semester or $45 for the year.

If students did not get a chance to utilize the two-week free sessions and they have never climbed the wall before they can still receive a one-day free pass. After that, a one-day pass is $3. The Outdoor Program also allows two-hour rentals for groups of 15 for $125, which includes all 15 participants’ harnesses and two staff members. They also offer birthday parties and team-building activities.

The staff of the Rock Wall enjoys climbing as much as the students.

“Everyone is really friendly,” McFarland said. “[The Rock Wall] has its own entity in the Recreation Center.”

Mattina also enjoys the Rock Wall because of the community atmosphere.

Gabriel’s enjoys creating challenging routes for the students, but not too difficult so the students can master them eventually.

While the free sessions are available for a limited time, students are encouraged to take advantage of the facility and use it to their own benefit all semester long.