Mandatory Physical Exercise at BCIT
For years the British Columbia Institute of technology has had mandatory "gym" time for their students without objection. However, students across the campus of BCIT slowly revolt against this mandatory program that consists of "first-year computer students being required to be inside the campus gym by 8:30"
One BCIT student states “I try not to get too riled up about it,” says Chris Holisky, “but it’s hard.” claiming that the gym time is virtually useless and is insulting that students will not be able to graduate without this requirement. As Chris Holisky slowly gathers momentum with a petition to abolish the gym program, I cannot help but feel that this mandatory program ultimately is beneficial to these students and not detrimental.
BCIT students argue that because the British Columbia Institute of Technology is virtually the only poly-Technic university that has mandatory exercise, we should take out this program. They state;. "As the only group of students on campus forced to get physical, they say the prerequisite unfairly implies they are exercise-phobic geeks. This is simply not true. Mandatory exercise is found all across Canada and in many countries as well, such as China which will be later explained. In Canada, from elementary school to mid high school, students are required to take physical education. Therefore, BCIT students are not the only group of students that are required to exercise but rather are part of a majority of people required to exercise. Furthermore, the argument that this program will imply that first year BCIT students are "exercise-phobic geeks" is a false assumption. Does the general public or other students look at students from grade 3 to grade 11 as "exercise-phobic geeks"? The answer is no. The fact of the matter is, programs that instill mandatory excercise like the one found in BCIT and in secondary/primary schooling, does not degrade the image of these particular students.
The main reason why many schools and countries have mandatory physical programs is to promote healthy living as well as lower obesity rates. One of the major modern issues of our century is the over-consumption of unhealthy foods and lack of exercise. The United States of America alone has an average obese percentage of 42 percent (relative to population) and Canada's 24 percent which continues to grow. Therefore, we need programs such as the one in BCIT to create a safety net for Canadians. To ensure that Canadians maintain a certain level of healthy exercise and to make sure that the issue of obesity is being addressed. Therefore, programs that instill physical exercise can only benefit Canadians.
A similar system of mandatory "gym" is also found across the pacific ocean in China. Business sectors in China require Chinese employees as well as citizens to do at least 8 minutes of exercise every day. Mr. Sun, a 30 year old chinese market states: "I think this [resumption] is really necessary, because people's living habits are very bad now. They sit in the office the whole day," Although BCIT's excercise program is not exactly the same as the ones found in china, the principle still stands. Cultures around the world have turned people lazy, exercises have become an inconvenience while the consumption of fatty foods have become a lifestyle. The only way to shape our culture into a better one that promotes healthy life styles, is to instill these healthy lifestyles into students.
All in all, the mandatory physical exercise program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology only benefits students as well as our culture. The only reason why momentum is building to abolish this program is because students that are enraptured in our culture have become lazy. Living a lifestyle of convenience does not equate to a better lifestyle.
