‘Get Active OU’ Brings Fun & Wellness to Campus

OU’s Weston Manders ’13 is ready for the yoga class on Tuesdays. Photo: Nicole Kang ’12

Every Tuesday, at 7 p.m., groups of Oglethorpe students can be found in Grenwald, working up a sweat in order to “find their Zen.”  Thanks to Get Active! OU, started by a small group of health-conscious students, Petrel Pass holders can now take yoga classes on campus for free.

“[My friend] Erin Fowler ’11 approached me about putting together a weight-loss program for the students,” explains Chad Smith ’13, Oglethorpe’s Intramurals coordinator and one of the organizers of Get Active! OU.

“The program started out as a Biggest Loser-style contest and quickly progressed into an overall wellness program.  We all decided that we did not want to focus on just weight loss alone. So we brought in new classes for students that were free, in hopes of getting students more active.  We brainstormed about yoga, kickboxing, Pilates, P90X, zumba, and Dean Hall told us about her boot camp that she helps instruct.  The name was taken from a program that Justin Sabree ’12 had already started, Get Active Oglethorpe.”

Recently, it became especially important to the students of Get Active! OU to get the program off the ground.  One of the group’s original organizers was the late Erik Downes, who was known around campus for his enthusiasm about health and fitness.

“After Erik passed away, I made it my personal goal to get things moving with haste,” said Chad.  “We want to work on some memorial in the gym since that was his second home.  He definitely wanted the program to be centered around wellness–not just physically, but also mentally, and that’s why we have yoga and kickboxing classes.  We’re working on Pilates, P90X and Zumba..I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

Yoga classes are held on Tuesdays and kickboxing classes are held on Mondays and Wednesdays, at 7 p.m. in Grenwald in Emerson Student Center.

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