Now that the freshman class has a few weeks of college under their belts, if they intend to not gain their "freshman 15," it is time they learn a little gym etiquette.
Really we should not just single out one class, all classes are responsible for the ignorance and disrespect that is seen at the Student Fitness Center, but when a lot of the perpetrators I have noticed are dawning their high school's "Class of 2011" t-shirt, they single themselves out rather well. The only problem is if some of the upper classmen have not learned gym etiquette by now, they most likely never will.
How hard is it to be completely ignorant and have no regard for the respect of others? Apparently it is not very difficult. Now I am by no means a supplement popping, hair over-gelled, Affliction t-shirt and skinny jeans wearing meathead attempting to emulate those on "Jersey Shore," as there seem to be quite a few of those at SIUE. I am just a terrible eater who needs to go to the gym daily to avoid a heart attack at the ripe old age of 24.
That still does not mean my time and space at the gym is not meaningful and it should be respected as much as the next person's. Unless you're a mute, how hard is it to ask someone if they are finished on a particular machine? Just because I get up to get a drink of water between sets does not mean I am done, especially if I do not un-rack the weights. Those water fountains are not there for show, so I am going to take advantage of them from time to time.
And please, un-rack your weights when you are done with a machine. Doing so can eliminate a lot of the problems, by letting others know when you are done on a particular machine, so those that do deserve a stipend on their tuition or something.
This is a busy time of the year for the Student Fitness Center, so I understand patrons will be anxious to get in and out of the gym as fast as possible to try to avoid waiting for a particular machine to open up.
Too bad. There is not a fast lane in life, so sometimes you have to be patient and wait. There is no exception no matter how big you are, so relax, sip on your Muscle Milk and respect the workout times of others.
If you are in doubt if someone is done with a machine, just ask. And for those who prefer to play basketball, there is no reason a person in the weight room with ear buds blasting Jason Aldean should be able to hear you dropping one of the seven dirty words from 100 feet away. The SFC is not an "And 1" tournament in Harlem, N.Y., so do not make it one. There are no cameras broadcasting your pick-up game on TNT, so Craig Sager and his tie collection are not going to stick a microphone in your face when you are done. So you have no one to impress.
There is not a Respect 101 or Common Sense 111 course on the SIUE schedule right now, so take the initiative of making them your independent study.