Physical fitness and mental finesse go hand-in-hand

Editor,

I sympathize with UNM faculty member James Burbank, whose letter criticizing the funding of a proposed recreational facility appeared in Wednesday’s Daily Lobo.

Vocal students seem to agree with his concerns as well. After all, in an environment of budget crisis where academic funding is cut and tuition is raised, it seems questionable to propose a $100 increase in student fees to finance a “jock monument” of all things.

UNM is a university, and its purpose is to educate.

However, to thousands of us who live on campus, UNM is also our home. We expect the University to provide us with the things we need, and it, in turn, has a strong obligation to do just that. In my opinion, UNM does a poor job of providing its students with a healthy environment.

Dietary options provided at all of Chartwells’ various establishments are narrow.

While many fatty and sugary foods are readily available, outside of La Posada’s relatively small salad bar, healthy eating is hardly an option.
Still, residents are required to purchase a meal plan. In addition, Johnson Center, UNM’s recreational facility, is constantly overcrowded.

Physical education classes tend to use most of the available space during the day, and in the evening students swarm. I often use south gym, an area of Johnson with basketball and volleyball courts. On some nights, volleyball, basketball, badminton, fencing and ballroom dancing are all competing for the same area. Hopeful students will show up and be forced to leave for lack of space.

I’ll qualify this be saying that most nights it’s not quite that bad. However, in general, Johnson’s facilities seem overburdened by the amount of users.

I take issue with Burbank’s characterization of the proposed center as a “jock monument.” Besides stereotyping supporters, it attempts to write off serious discussion as out of the question. Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy lifestyle, beside improving quality of life, has been shown to improve cognitive function.
If this is accepted, then a University ought to concern itself with student health for a multitude of reasons.

I am not arguing that the proposal is necessarily a good idea.
Can we afford to raise student fees for this while simultaneously letting our academic departments slip? I’m not sure, but while the cons have been reiterated over and over again, I don’t feel that the merits have been fairly represented. I’m not ashamed to say that I voted in favor.

Samuel Waggoner
UNM student