Athletics department releases PE course selection for Fall ’23 despite cyberattack

Since the cyberattack has limited student’s ability to search for classes and prepare for registration for the upcoming semester, many are likely confused about what Physical Education (PE) classes will be offered . 

PE is a two-course requirement (not taken concurrently) and, therefore, we all need to take two PE classes of our choice before we are able to graduate. Unlike other schools such as Cornell, however, there is no base requirement for physical fitness such as swimming proficiency. 

According to the  2022-23 course catalog, “students will learn to recognize and experience the positive benefits of building physical fitness and self-care habits, explore aspects of the body’s structure and function, and engage in experiences within a group or community setting … [these] courses promote personal health and well-being, often serving collective purposes of expression and teamwork. Students learn to challenge themselves by setting goals and measuring progress toward those goals.”

The Pamplin Sports Center and Zehntbauer Swimming Pavilion boast a wide array of sports equipment and facilities including “an eight-lane swimming pool, a gymnasium with three basketball/volleyball courts, an extensive fitness center, and an activity room for self-defense, martial arts, dance, and aerobics classes.” Some of these facilities are open to all students, even non-athletes, who wish to exercise during the day, so keeping up with a physical fitness regimen does not have to be limited to PE classes. Check the facilities’ hours on their website before going in. 

There are more commonly taken and recurring classes such as varsity basketball or baseball, for students competing on NCAA teams credit is given for their participation, but not everyone has the talents or desire to play a certain sport competitively. LC offers some more unique classes based on student interest or level of experience. Personal Fitness, Self Defense for Women, Fundamentals of Movement and Yoga are all popular courses and often fill early on in the registration cycle. 

Watch out for some additional costs, however, as some courses offered utilize special equipment or other necessities that require extra fees, often around $125. Both the Alexander Technique and Zumba, a posture focused movement class and a dance fitness class respectively, have these requirements.  

There are two PE courses that do not fulfill the two-credit Physical Education requirement: PE/A 340 Prevention and Care of Injuries and PE/A 405 Advanced Athletic Training, mainly meant to be pre-physical therapy courses for students going into the more academic side of physical education. Maybe explain why and who would even take these classes in one sentence

Additionally, College Outdoors offers fall, Thanksgiving and spring break trips that can fulfill one of these requirements. So, instead of spending a whole semester, twice a week, taking a PE class,students can spend up to a week traveling with  friends on trips to Mount Hood, or to the beach for a hike coupled with whale watching. 

In their Wilderness Leadership course description, College Outdoors specifies that the “outdoor classroom and field sessions develop and test technical and interpersonal skills which are valuable for leadership positions with College Outdoors at LC, other positions in the outdoor industry, and for personal adventures.”