Quirky, Fast & Fun: Physical Education at Cornell
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“Basically, they try to kill you,” Duane Mitchell ’11 joked when asked what a typical day in his scuba diving class entails. “It’s possibly the best thing I’ve ever done.”
He now knows what to do if he ever finds himself 100 feet underwater without a mask. Additionally, whether or not he finds the chance to scuba again, for as long as the class sessions last, as Mitchell said, “It’s nice being able to breathe underwater.”
Scuba diving is only one of the myriad phys ed classes offered at Cornell.
P.E. requirements are one of the few that all students must complete, regardless of their college or major, and not because Cornell students are over healthy glycemic index levels. Though many schools, like Cornell, say that phys ed requirements are important in combating rising obesity levels, universities also want to teach students skills linked to sports, such as team building.
Physical education may also, help students stay healthy and maintain their weight. In 2004, Prof. David Levitsky, nutritional sciences, found that freshmen at Cornell gained an average of 4.2 pounds their first semester on campus. While students who exercise regularly are less likely to gain weight, exercise has more physical benefits than simply remaining slim.
“Exercise builds endorphins levels in your brain, which reduce stress — the number one cause of insomnia. If you want to have a better quality of sleep, exercise is a major factor,” Professor James Maas PhD ’66, psychology, said.
Also thanks to exercise, students concentrate better, retain information more easily and think clearer, according to a recent study done by The Franklin Institute. This is due to the increased breathing and heart rate that accompany exercise, so that more blood flows to the brain, enhancing energy production.
And what does the P.E. Department have to say about why students rouse themselves out of bed at odd hours of the day or night to educate themselves physically? The answer lies in the “total well-being” that comes along with participating in athletics. Sports “teach leadership skills, teamwork, responsibility, and accountability; and administer programs that can be critical to the educational and personal development of students,” Cornell’s Department of Athletics and Physical Education Mission Statement reads.
According to Al Gantert, director of physical education, the physical education program for women was introduced in the early 20th century, around when the swim test requirement was established for women (1919). Men’s physical education began later as a physical training program, designed primarily to prepare male students for World War II.
Gantert, who became director of physical education in 1978, combined the men’s and women’s physical education programs in 1979, at the time when the requirement was reduced from four semesters to the two semesters.
“My objective in offering the program is to offer a program that is a broad enough spectrum to meet the needs and desires of the student population,” said Gantert. “For the most part I think the P.E. program is well received by the students.”
Cornell boasts over 100 different physical education classes in which students may enroll. Classes run from classic soccer and basketball options to the less-expected meditation and massage classes.
The Israeli-Latin dance class, Beksetsev, is one P.E. that mixes sport and cultural exposure. Hebrew for “with a beat,” this class fuses moves from Israeli dancing with ones from both Indian — namely belly dancing — and Latin dancing, such as the cha-cha. Throw in some tap dancing toe-touches, and the occasional pelvic, all to the tune of Caribbean jams and you’ve got your typical night with the smiling female leaders of Beketsev. Beketsev-er Garret Graham ’12 claimed, “I like being totally confused by the moves.” In general, the dances are relatively simple to learn, and an average of three different dances are introduced each class. Beketsev instructor Arielle Angell ’11 describes Beketsev as “high energy, a stress reliever… and sexy!”
Not in the mood to dance? Perhaps fishing is more your style. Park yourself on a stone or some fresh dirt around Beebe Lake, and you can find yourself in Introduction to Angling/Fishing. Students not only learn how to cast a line, but also receive instruction as to just what they should do with that bad boy once they catch it. As Mara Perman ’11 put it, after taking this class last year, “I can filet a fish.”
But if you favor competitive sports, badminton may be the choice for you. Taught by reputedly zany instructor Michael Bryant, badminton is a place for students to either learn the skills of the sport — such as over-head smashes and flick serves — or just get time to practice their already finely-honed talents. “I think it is the fastest reflex sport in the world,” Bryant explained, adding that his class is not “your typical backyard game of badminton.” Besides any physical benefits the sport offers, students rave about the “great combination of human and instruction” Bryant brings to the sport class. As Sam Breslin ’12 concluded, “Everyone likes badminton.”
For those of you who want to learn self-defense, there are martial arts classes such as Tae Kwon Do. A draw of this class is its combination of traditional defense skills and modern exercise molded together. Instructors from the local Cho Wang Tae Kwon Do school teach the class, and often intersperse endorsements of a proper diet and sleep schedule throughout the lesson plan. By either stretching out their limbs to counts of 10 in Korean or completing a quick combination routine of high kicks, jabs and punches, students relax and forget the stresses of the day.
P.E. can also be an opportunity to romance, and Cornell’s numerous dance classes provide the chance. Nika Pcsolyar ’11 explained that that a friend of hers met her current boyfriend swing dancing and recommended the class. With the constant rotating of partners due to unequal numbers of girls and guys enrolled in the class, students are involved in a constant cycle of introductions and getting-to-know-you-games.
“It’s a great way to meet people,” Pcsolyar assured. A majority of the dances learned stem from the Charleston — a 1920s classic — and thus students travel back in time as they jump and jive. Swing dancing also has longer-lasting benefits. “Doing a gym class, specifically a dancing class, really cultures you,” as Pcsolyar said.
If you really want to get outside the ordinary, Cornell offers an array of water sports, such as sailing. Cornell owns a small fleet of dinghys, which are kept on the lake during the warmer months. Sam Stanton ’11 described the class as incredibly “hands on.” Full attention from participants is demanded, as students are put in a boat with one other partner and are set free to wander throughout Cayuga Lake. Students are their own teachers, in a sense, as they are in charge of setting up their own sails and keeping their boats moving.
“Its really fun,“ Stanton said, describing in particular one particularly windy week last year “where we were just flying around all over the place.”
Another aquatic experience available is scuba diving.
Students are not allowed in the water until they pass a written examination and prove basic capability to the instructors. Though this may seem like a lot of extra work for busy students, Mitchell assured it is worth it.
If you are itching to sign up for something unlikely to be found just anywhere, look no further than juggling. Instructor Greg Billing ’08 and his brother Jon, a student at SUNY Cortland, founded the class last spring. A recent graduate and former president of the club juggling team, Greg is passionate about this unique aerobic workout. Classes are small — about 10 students. Students’ goals for the class range from being able to juggle while simultaneously riding a unicycle to simply learning to catch consistently. Offering what instructors acknowledge as an “alternative” activity, juggling proves itself a combination of fitness, a stress-free environment, and, perhaps most importantly, a hiatus away from what can turn into a monotonous cycle of classes and work.
Clearly, there is a place for “any person” and “any study,” even in physical education. So go forth, and get your fitness on — just not at the gym.