It’s a new year full of new beginnings, including but not limited to seeing the inside of the Plex potentially more than twice a semester. For some, fitness goals are at an all time high at the start of the academic year. Boston College students are no strangers to fitness, but if you visited the Plex in the first few days of school, you would have thought they were selling discounted books from the bookstore the day before drop/add ends.
The freshmen class descended upon the Plex like it was the last watering hole in the desert. If you attempted to attend a fitness class in the last week, you saw the madness first hand. It was nearly impossible to get into one, with the lines snaking nearly out of the building.
During each Orientation session throughout the summer, the freshmen class is exposed to the idea of “seamless perfection” and the “organizational kid.” The Center for Student Formation is very aware of the mentality that the class of 2018 has matriculated to Boston College with – they are ready to crack the code of college in order to succeed much like they did in high school. A talent of Boston College students, that we all can attest to, is to achieve this high level of success in academics, co-curricular activities, and social life without breaking a sweat.
We are the seamless perfectionists – it appears as though everyone on this campus can excel in academics, achieve a high level of fitness, have an impressively active social life, and be hyper-involved without an ounce of stress. As I watched the freshmen females in line for yoga, I couldn’t help but wonder if on day two they had already absorbed the importance of appearing to maintain this kind of lifestyle at BC.
If so, what are we teaching the incoming students, and how do they get the message so quickly? Now, fitness is not a bad thing by any means. However, the swarm of underclass women attempting to fit this mold is, I think, an indication of our culture.
So, here we are entering week two. Plex class attendance will probably diminish as people get busier, but it’s important to set an example of balance. Not every Boston College student has the time or energy to do all of the things we think they do. Offices like the Office of Health Promotion and the Center for Student Formation are fantastic conversation partners and resources to help achieve a healthy, balanced lifestyle that doesn’t necessarily succumb to being the BC brand of the seamless perfectionist.
Photo Sources:
http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/rec/programs/fitness.html
http://sarahfit.com/navigating-the-gym-college-edition/