From Campus Recreation Facility Supervisors
We have been happy to see all of the students back in the Health and Wellness Center this Fall term. Already this term we have seen over 50 percent of the student population through our doors which is fantastic. Yet, the last thing we want to do is make all these people feel attacked or uncomfortable to workout or be in our facility. Over the summer, staff at Campus Recreation had numerous discussions about how we should enforce, or quite plainly if we should even have a dress code. This is a hot topic of discussion at collegiate gyms all across our country at the moment. For us here at WOU Campus Recreation and most other collegiate gyms, we do not want our dress code to be about what is appropriate or not, we want it to be about the safety and health of our students and peers.
We (Campus Recreation) have researched the topic and are more than willing to sit down with any student or student group to explain the risk factors about skin infections within gyms and recreation centers. An example of this type of skin infectious bacteria is CAMRSA (Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) which is transferred from the skin to any surface. Hypothetically, if you are sitting on a piece of equipment or pad with your skin directly touching it and the person before you didn’t clean off where their skin touched, this can transmit that bacterium to you. Even if you have a sweaty shirt on you still have a barrier to the equipment or pad which has the potential of reducing disease transmission.
Our main thing here is that we want to limit your skin contact with all these gross bacteria. Yes, we try and clean the equipment as much as we can, and we ask that you clean the equipment before and after you use it as well, but you can never be too careful. Of course, we can’t prevent you from sweating at the gym and working hard, but we ask everyone to consider your health and safety when you are choosing what to wear to help us keep everyone healthy. By cleaning equipment, personal hygiene, and wearing proper workout materials that cover your body, (students can take) important (actions) to prevent the spread of germs and diseases.
To clarify, wearing a tank top or razor back tank top is not against our clothing policy. Our only goal is to educate everyone. However, you still need to wear a shirt that covers your chest, abdomen, back and side areas from hip to armpit (including your midsection) at all times while in our facility. All our staff is also working through how to approach this issue, so if you ever have questions or concerns don’t be afraid to have a conversation with us at the front desk or talk to the staff member upstairs!
We want all students to leave as healthy as they were when they came in.
This letter is in response to an editorial titled “The reality of gym dress-codes” published in Issue 2 of the Western Howl.
