by Sheronda Gipson, contributor
“I was getting fat off cafeteria food,” said Darcy Smith, first-year photography student. Smith along with several other students are regulars at the SCAD Fitness Center’s Wednesday Zumba class. They are actively fighting the dreaded freshman fifteen, the 15-20 pounds that most students gain their first year of college.
“The class is normally at capacity every week,” said SCAD Senior Career Advisor Chrissy Terry, who teaches this high energy class. Zumba is exhilarating as students move to songs by Soldier Boy, Beyonce, salsa and merengue beats. This makes the class feel more like a club on a Friday night than actual exercise. “I also incorporate weight lifting in the class,” says Terry. Participants march around the room lifting 3lbs, 5lbs, and 8 lbs weights in the air and multi-tasking the lifts with squats and lunges. Even though it’s hard, the party doesn’t stop.
Zumba is an aerobic class that incorporates dance and fitness moves to world beat rhythms. The choreography is repetitive and easy to follow. Zumba studios are popular in the Atlanta area, with classes charging between $10-$20 per class. Paid membership fitness clubs have added Zumba to their class rosters. At SCAD, this class is free to students and faculty.
Terry is a certified Zumba instructor and has been teaching the class at SCAD for a year and a half. When asked about the popularity of the class, Terry says that people like to work out without feeling like they are working out. She also emphasizes the importance of any type of exercise, not just Zumba. “Exercise is good for your mental and physical health and it helps to relieve stress.”
First-year fashion marketing and management student Kayla Williams comes to the class because she is familiar with Zumba. “I’ve done it before and decided to try it here,” she says. She’s only taken two classes but vows to come back.
Zumba is held every Wednesday in the SCAD Fitness Center from 5:45 – 6:45 p.m. All classes are free to students and faculty. Bring your valid SCAD ID for access. To see the complete schedule of classes offered in the fitness center, click here for the fall schedule or visit the SCAD portal under Resources and click on SCAD Atlanta Fitness Center Schedule.