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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2014
PAGE 3
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Program encourages staff, faculty fitness
KELSI KIRWIN
@knkirwinUDK
The Feel Good Fitness Program at the Robinson Center allows faculty and staff to utilize the recreation facilities during lunch breaks and at the end of the work day free of charge, however, its founder would like to see more members take advantage of it.
The program, created by Dr. Mary Fry, associate professor of health sport and exercise science, is working to encourage staff and faculty to use the facilities available to them to improve their health and well-being.
Out of the 2,700 faculty members at the University, 133 staff and faculty members filtered through the facilities at noon on Monday. While
Mondays are the Center's busiest days. Fry feels as though there could be more members making use of it.
"What's unfortunate is the people who use it are, for the most part, comfortable with exercising without any help and for staff who are uncomfortable exercising, there is no one here to help get them started," Fry said.
Last fall, Fry and her graduate exercise psychology class held an event at the Robinson Center to promote the program. Her students gave tours of the facilities to familiarize people with the weight room, pool, aerobics areas and basketball courts. Over 350 staff and faculty attended the event. Since then, the amount of staff and faculty utilizing the facilities has increased.
Theresa Brown, director of student affairs research, attended the event as well. Brown's research looks at what motivates a person to exercise and last year she assessed the staff and faculty's needs after attending the event. She found
"We would love to keep building the culture of health and wellness among our faculty."
MARY FRY Associate professor
that most people asked for a walking program, so she applied for a research grant for pedometers for the staff and
faculty.
The grant, sponsored by the Faculty and Staff Wellness Committee, recruits 105 participants to use pedometers throughout the day and they are encouraged to reach 10,000 steps. A group of students hand-delivered flyers promoting the grant and word spread like wildfire. In just one day, Brown had twice as much interest in the program than there were funds. There was even interest from students who had to be turned down as it is only a program for the staff and faculty.
"It was neat the way news spread so quickly about the program," Brown said. "It shows a strong interest on campus to fit in physical activity."
According to the Mayo Clin
ic, adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. This can be a difficult feat to achieve for some staff and faculty, especially if they don't have the luxury of having an office in Robinson like Dr. Fry, who uses the pool at least twice a week. However, that is the purpose of the Feel Good Fitness Program.
"The program puts emphasis on getting people active, comfortable and healthier," Fry said. "We would love to keep building the culture of health and wellness among our faculty. Wherever you are on your fitness journey, you are welcome here."
Edited by Miranda Davis
Office of Study Abroad changes travel registry
LAUREN METZLER
@MetzlerLauren
The Office of Study Abroad will be holding an information meeting to discuss the new Student International Travel Registry Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
The information session will be held in Blake Hall, room 109. Two other sessions will be held on Nov.4 at 2:30 p.m. in the Gridiron Room of the Burge Union and on Dec. 2 at 2:30 p.m. in Wescoe Hall, room 4062.
The travel registry is designed for faculty,graduate students, and undergraduate students who are overseas doing academic work connected to the University but not through an established study abroad program, Angela Perryman, director of the Office of Study Abroad, said.
This can include: internships, research projects, and other study-based work that is not for KU credit. The Student International Travel policy was revised in May 2014 and has since seen 131 students register, Perryman said.
The registry creates an information network for students abroad. It provides country-specific travel information before students travel. It can also send out updates like locations of possibly dangerous situations so that students can revise their travel plans. This makes quick location and evacuation possible in the event of an emergency.
For students doing work that applies to registry guidelines, sign up is required. To register, students must submit the following information: emergency contact information, a photocopy of one's
passport, flight itinerary and travel plans, a completed student liability lease, health insurance certification, medical release form, emergency evacuation and repatriation insurance, and a travel proposal and emergency management plans for group programs.
"We're seeing more students who are going international than we ever have and they're going abroad to do all kinds of interesting things."
ANGELA PERRYMAN Director
Perryman said.
"I want students to know that this is a [...] relatively quick and painless process that has great benefit to them,"
Hannah Boyd, a senior from Tulsa, Okla., spent last summer doing biology research in the Amazon with Dr. Caroline Chaboo, assistant professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.
Although Boyd was unable to check her email for the duration of her research project for lack of internet, she said the application process was straightforward.
"They help you along." Boyd said. "If there's stuff that still needs to be done, they send you emails to remind you. For people like me, it's great."
The need for this program became apparent in incidents like the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Perryman said. In such a situation, the University could quickly identify what faculty and students were overseas, but there was a gap
for these students who were abroad.
"We're seeing more students who are going international than we ever have and they're going abroad to do all kinds of interesting things," Perryman said. "Universities are thinking, 'This is fantastic, how do we support students?'"
If students are unsure whether their travel plans falls under registry guidelines, Holly Presnell, an on staff advisor at the Office of Study Abroad is overseeing the registry and meeting with students.
For more information on the registry, visit the Office of Study Abroad located in Lippincott Hall, Room 108. Students can also call (785) 864-3742 or email studyabroad@ku.edu.
Edited by Rob Pyatt
KU$ \textcircled{1} $nfo
96 years ago this week, the entire KU campus was closed for a whole month due to an influenza pandemic. Students were forbidden to gather in large groups or leave campus.
Student group to host speaker tonight
A political group on campus is hosting an event tonight called, "Money Matters" where Dr. Duane Goossen will discuss rising costs of tuition and what money means to students.
The event is on the fifth floor of the Union and is hosted by the Future Majority, a nonpartisan group of students and young people who engage peers to promote education, common sense and representation in Kansas, according to their Facebook page.
Goossen, who currently serves as the vice president for fiscal and health policy at the Kansas Health Institute, will speak about rising costs of the University's tuition in comparison to current inflation.
Goosen served as state budget director for 12 years under three different governors.
The event begins at 7 p.m. and includes free pizza.
Miranda Davis
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