Carleton Athletics has extended the free fitness classes offered to two weeks after concerns over access to the courses.
Carleton hosts a week of free classes at the beginning of each semester for students looking to get fit and have fun. Students are able to take anything from piloxing to Argentine tango free of charge hosted by teachers at the university.
For the last few years, the week has taken place during the first full week of the semester.
This year, Carleton Athletics decided the original dates were Jan. 4-10, beginning two days before the semester started on Jan. 6, and before many students were back on campus after the holidays.
Carleton’s fitness coordinator Lesley Bowlby said teachers this year were excited to start their classes.
“We wanted to start as soon as possible,” Bowlby said. “Instructors were eager to get started on the 4th.”
Bowlby later decided to lengthen the fitness program until Jan. 17.
“I’m all for people trying things that are out of their wheelhouse,” she said. “I made an executive decision to extend the program.”
Posters are up all around the university telling everyone about the change, but online promotional posters have not been changed.
Originally, Bowlby noted the early start could be good for students living nearby.
“There will still be a lot of residence students coming to the open house at the beginning of this week,” she said.
However, students made their way slowly back to campus for their first classes.
Graham Pedregosa, president of the Rideau River Residence Association, said students were “slowly trickling in” to their residences and the end of the week “is probably the busiest” for returning students.
For those on campus, the classes are accessible not only for students, but for faculty and staff at the university.
Teachers like Esha Abrol look forward to the extended fitness week.
“It’s a way for students to get out and try something that might scare them,” the Argentine tango instructor said.
Abrol has noticed in the last two years that the week has increased the number of students who register in her class.
“About half of the students we have in the permanent class had shown up for the free trial,” Abrol said. “They really enjoyed it the first week.”
