At Rowan’s Rec Center, to the surprise of many students, a new dress code has been implemented over the summer. Students and Rec members are now not allowed to wear cut off shirts to the gym (ones where there is a deep hole on the side). Sleeveless tank tops are still allowed. Should a student or member not be in accordance to the policy, they will be asked to go home and change.
Hearing about this new change in policy, Rowan student, Louis Pisano, felt that it was unfair and decided to do something about it. He created an online petition to try and evoke a change in the policy. (Petition can be found here: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/revoke-the-student-rec-center-dress-code) He says, “It’s a rec center at a university. We should be able to wear what we want and how we want not how they see fit. We pay to go to school and use the facilities here.”
Like many students, he feels that we should be able to wear something we feel is appropriate work out attire and not be told to leave if we don’t follow these rules. He also feels that “the dress code policy is inconvenient and unnecessary. It has nothing to do with guys wearing deep cut shirts to look big or show off or girls showing too much skin. But it has everything to do with people being able to work out in what they feel comfortable in.”
On the other side of the argument, a lot of students have embraced this policy including Weight Room staff member, Lauren Davidson. She feels that the policy was made with students in mind and it was not made to restrict the members. In an interview she said, “I see both the student and the Rec Center’s stance on the policy. The main purpose is to make the Rec Center cleaner. There are quite a few germs and bacterium that live on gym equipment. Even though the Rec is one of the cleaner fitness facilities, germs are inevitable. Minimizing the amount of body contact with equipment is one way that the Rec can do us all a favor and reduce the risk of us picking something up.”
She goes on to say, “the policy also makes some individuals feel more comfortable working out because you don’t have people walking around with their whole chest and sides exposed. Some people are confident enough to wear it but they should be courteous to those who may feel uncomfortable with this attire.” Through this policy, the Rec Center is trying to accommodate all of its members and make them all as comfortable as possible.
Personally, I see this issue from both standpoints. I think it is inconvenient and I think it does have advantages. I own a few cut off shirts that I can no longer wear to the gym. It’s frustrating to not be able to wear them and have to completely take them out of my work out wardrobe. But as a person who goes to the gym almost every day, I know that I have seen a lot of things that I haven’t wanted to see. So, I’m torn on the issue.
The question becomes, should a college institution be allowed to tell its students what they can and cannot wear? Or should that not matter if it is for the health of its students? If you feel strongly about being opposed to the new policy, feel free to check out the petition and sign it! http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/revoke-the-student-rec-center-dress-code