by Jonathan O’Connor Staff Writer
With New Year’s resolutions of losing weight fresh on people’s minds, it seems appropriate that SCAD be holding its own version of “The Biggest Loser” on campus. This past week, SCAD Atlanta’s Director of Fitness, Leslee LeBouton, and her staff started sign-ups for the SCAD Atlanta Bee Fit Challenge. Participants were checked-in by a fitness staff member who recorded their height, weight, age, body mass index, and body fat percentage.
Fitness staff member and second-year M.F.A motion media student, Jones Akba, explained how it works. “The Bee Fit Challenge involves student and staff. The student that loses the most amount of body fat and the staff or faculty member who loses the most body weight by the end of the quarter will be the winner. There is going to be a prize. It is the motivational way to come to the gym and workout.”
To help motivate success, the fitness staff has put together folders with information on simple ways to lower one’s body mass index as well as healthful food and activities that will help competitors succeed. And people are taking their advice. This past week alone, the gym-goers were in higher numbers than any other week during the fall quarter.
Among the participants in the Bee Fit Challenge are roommates Naomi Crumpley, first-year fashion design undergraduate, and Ninoska Flores, first-year graphic design undergraduate.
Crumpley thanks her roommate for her participation, “I wanted to get fit and my roommate wanted to do it.”
Flores credits the upcoming swimsuit season for her signup, “For my height I’m a little overweight. I’d like to look better for summer vacation.”
Whether trying to fulfill a New Year’s resolution, supporting a roommate, or trying to slim down and get healthy, the SCAD fitness staff is excited to see so many new faces in the gym. The Bee Fit Challenge will end on March 1 and winners will receive a secret prize. The real prize, either way, would be the change that the competitors make in their lives and the change in how SCAD students look at the importance of health and fitness.
To find out more about the Bee Fit Challenge or to learn more about the fitness center email atlfitness@scad.edu, call (404) 253-3311 or stop by the fitness center during gym hours.
Gym Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday: Noon to 4 p.m.
Sunday: CLOSED