GIRRRRRRL POWER
■ The University offers
popular women-only
weight lifting classes
By Simone Ripke
Oregon Daily Emerald
Brenna Stewart, a freshman pre
journalism major, lifts weights al
most every day. To reinforce her
progress and learn how to use the
equipment in the weight room
confidently, Stewart is also taking
a weight lifting class — for women
only.
She says working out with a
group of women and a female in
structor, who all understand a
woman’s body, was her main moti
vation for registering for a women -
only, as opposed to co-ed, class.
Stewart also says working out with
out big, buff guys around allows her
to feel more comfortable.
“It is less intimidating,” she says.
Stewart says she had a male
weight lifting coach in high school
who did not address differences
between lifting for men and
women and was unwilling to con
cede that men and women have
different needs in the weight
room.
Peg Rees, director of physical ed
ucation, says the physical educa
tion department offers two to three
classes designated only for women
every term. Besides weight lifting
classes the department offers bas
ketball, volleyball and tennis class
es for women only.
“We’re trying to meet every
body’s needs,” Rees says.
Physical education classes were
segregated in the past but became
co-ed when Title IX came along —
a law stating that males and fe
males have to receive equal oppor
tunities in state-supported educa
tion systems. Rees says many
institutions interpreted that Title
IX called for co-ed classes.
But some think that may not
have been such a good idea.
“In reality, it really lessened re
alistic opportunities for women,”
Rees says.
She says basketballs for women
are smaller to fit the size of
women’s hands and the height of a
volleyball net for women is lower
than that for men, to accommo
date their height. In co-ed classes,
however, all equipment used is at
the size and height for men’s
sports, leading to an unfair disad
vantage for women.
Rees says there are many women
Catherine Kendall Emerald
Brenna Stewart works out on one of the weight machines in the rec center. Stewart is one of many students who have opted for women-only weight lifting classes.
who do not mind using men’s
equipment and have no trouble
keeping up. But generally speaking,
women tend to play sports on a dif
ferent level than men.
“As most people will admit,
guys generally are bigger, stronger
and faster,” she says.
Rees says it is just like
wrestling. Athletes from different
weight classes do not face each
other on the floor. Instead, they
compete with athletes of their
weight class only. To Rees, the di
vision between most men and
women is just like that.
“We are a different weight
class,” she says.
Although Rees does not like to
generalize, she says especially
when it comes to team sports such
as basketball and volleyball, men
and women tend to play on differ
ent levels.
“It really is difficult to have a
level playing field in team sports,”
Rees says.
Women-only weight classes
were instituted because women
are usually in the minority in the
weight room and some feel more
comfortable lifting with other
women only.
“The weight room is a classic
example of cultural intimidation,”
Rees says. “It’s just not as comfort
able to lift together. ”
Rees also says that when a
woman is in the weight room, feel
ing good about lifting 75 pounds
and the guy next to her is lifting
much more much faster, she may
tend to not recognize her success.
Shannon McIntosh, a graduate
teaching fellow and instructor of
the weight lifting class Stewart is
taking, agrees that some women
become intimidated in a weight
room full of men.
“The weight room has always
been a male domain,” McIntosh
says.
She also says women only
classes are popular because they
give women a chance to work on
and learn about issues pertaining
specifically to women’s bodies.
McIntosh says co-ed classes usu
ally focus on supplements rather
than issues such as osteoporosis
and eating disorders, which are
more for females.
Women also tend to have differ
ent goals when working out,
McIntosh says.
“Women tend to be interested
more in why they are doing some
thing and how it’s working,” she
says.
Most men, on the other hand, are
usually interested in building mus
cle as fast as possible when they are
in the weight room, she says.
Rees and McIntosh say classes
designated for women only are
popular and fill up quickly. McIn
tosh says she suspects most
women in her class registered par
ticularly because the class is for
women only.
“The women that I have had
contact with... are all glad that
this is sort of for them,” she says.
Amy Kott, a senior double-ma
joring in psychology and interna
tional studies, is currently taking
McIntosh’s weight lifting class.
She says she likes lifting sur
rounded by female peers because
it feels more comfortable and is
less competitive. Kott says she has
some female friends who were in
terested in women only weight
classes but were not able to get in.
“I just wish there were more of
them,” she says.
Rees says so far nobdy has had
complaints about gender specific
classes.
“We haven’t had anybody feel
our offerings are unfair,” she says.
She says about the same num
ber of classes for men only have
been offered in the past.
And despite some students’
preferences for gender specific
classes, co-ed classes are still pop
ular too.
“I think socially, it’s important
to do both,” Rees says. “It’s a dif
ferent social and emotional
growth.”
Physical Education
Take a PE class
For More Information:
a) Web site: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~pars
b) Schedule of Classes — pgs. 98-102
c) Call 346-4113
d) All of the above
Spring Term 2000
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