The UCA HPER provides a variety of activities for students and faculty, such as the ability to rent equipment from Campus Outdoor Pursuits and Activities (COPA) and several diverse HPER class opportunities each week.
COPA is located at the back of the HPER on the left-hand side. It allows employees and students the privilege of renting out bikes, canoes and camping gear. It also provides courses to better prepare individuals for their upcoming escapades.
Assistant Director of COPA Anthony Fillippino said when the weather is typically nicer, such as between 65 and 70 degrees, more equipment is rented out.
“At 10:30 on that Wednesday this past spring break I had about five to seven people hanging out. Waiting,” Fillippino said. “At noon I had a meeting, we open up at noon. I called back to see how it was going and they had a line of about 20 people. By that Friday of spring break we were probably about 75 percent cleaned out of all of our stock.”
Director of the Fitness Center and HPER Associate Director Ary Servedio constantly works to improve the HPER and motivates students to learn the importance of physical activity.
“The challenge has always been how do we get the students who are not using the facility to come here,” she said.
Servedio believes that everyone should feel comfortable when working out. That is why she believes the group exercise classes are so important.
“We want everyone to just come out and have a good time,” she said.
The attendance in the HPER is usually higher before spring break and the summertime.
“We are at 80 percent more attendance in February than we were from January and we still have a week to go, so we’re doing fine,” she said. “We’re doing really well and that is for the large workout studio classes. I think if we had gone the whole month in January we definitely would have seen a higher number in January.”
A new workout log has been added to the cardio room this semester for the Residence Hall Fitness Challenge. Servedio said Greek students tend to participate the most.
“Ten out of the 11 residence halls have been participating as of last week,” she said. “Out of the UCA apartments four out of five are participating. The fraternities, seven out of 13 and the sororities, eight out of 10. The rules are that residents can record up to an hour a day, five days a week.”
Students can check out the weekly results of the Residence Hall Fitness Challenge on the HPER’s Facebook page.
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