Social Groups and the Rec Center

One of the best places on campus to look at the social groups is at the Fitness and Rec Center. I try and go to the gym every night, but often skip working out on days I have aerobics. While running around the track or doing crunches on the mats, I like to watch the different people at the gym. The outdoorsy people can be found scaling the fake rock wall in the climbing gym. While one person is straining away, the people below (belaying, I think) stand around and talk. There are also many hard-core athletes running on the treadmill for hours at 8.5 speed. I dread when I finally find an open treadmill next to one of these mini-marathoners because they make my one mile run seem worthless. There are also the guys who lift more than my body weight with one arm and the sorority girls who wear their matching Phi Kappa Gamma t-shirts whenever working out. A pair of older women pump their arms and chat as they power walk around the track. On the basketball courts are intramural teams of varying talent. Often I see a group playing competitive basketball and across the gym a group of kids attempting to rally a volleyball across the net. Most of their time is spent laughing and making fun of each other’s unskilled attempts to serve the ball. There are also the prom queen girls who come to the gym with manicured hair and eyeliner. I don’t usually put much thought into my appearance when I go the gym. For morning aerobics class, I only pull on a gray divisional track shirt and sweep my hair into a pony tail. I always feel a little frumpy when I get to aerobics and see several girls who look better than I do when I dress for class. One girl poofs her hair and wears matching tank tops and sweat jackets. Occasionally silver earring hang from her ears. I can’t help but think that girls like her are at the gym more for the idea of working out than actually getting into shape. The gym is a mix of people looking for competitive sport, hard muscle training, social outings, and basic health. It is definitely one of the best places to observe the social groups of the UM campus.