Walking 101

A recent survey shows that 87 percent of students allow a minimum of 15 extra minutes to their daily walk to class due to ignorant students clearly lacking an education on how to walk. In an effort to eliminate these feet dragging dawdlers, the institute has added Walking 101 to their wellness course options.

Jim Mazza, a fifth year Electrical Engineering major, was one of the students who suggested the wellness class to Student Government (SG). “Admittedly, I'm a fast walker; not cardio level, but I move,” he said. “More and more it seems everyone is moving at a near-turtle pace. I don’t know how many times I've been late to class because people are just strolling along. I decided something had to be done.”  

Several students shared unpleasant experiences at an open forum about the issue held on March 16. “One day I was walking back from class, and had to pee like a racehorse,” said TJ Binotto, also a fifth year Electrical Engineer. “I was stuck behind a line of four kids walking side by side, and every time I tried to walk past them there were people coming my direction! Once we got past the buildings, I ran around them on the grass and didn’t stop until I got to the bathroom. If I was behind them for a second longer I would not have made it.”

SG’s President explained that the wellness course has been on the agenda of SG for two years, but that other problems had to be taken care of first. “The original idea was presented to SG two years ago,” Tall Saul said. “It’s been something we needed to get to; it’s just been a busy year. Planning the roast took time, especially because that’s our most popular SG event with approximately 50 students stopping by throughout the day.”

“The leisurely swinging of the hips and/or sagging of the shoulders is the most time-consuming fragment of struts,” said Jason Kellner, walking specialist and instructor of the wellness course. “The added dragging of feet adds another five to seven minutes, and is often a correlation of texting, walking in large groups or not possessing enough self-awareness.”

The class surveys have shown that many students feel enlightened after finishing the semester, and that they had received compliments on their new normal walking abilities. Brandon Strangman, a fifth year Industrial Engineer, was one of those satisfied students. “I’ve always been a slow walker, but I’ve never really thought anything about it,” he explained. “Then, the other day I realized I was losing sleep due to my lack of speed. I left at 9:25 a.m. for my 10 a.m. class, and when I got to class I was talking to my friend who left at 9:40 and got to class before me! That’s when I knew I needed help.”

A portion of the class will be dedicated to the traffic patterns designed for the quarter mile. Instructors will clarify that not only are these RIT traffic patterns, but are similar to the United States driving laws as well. For example, you should always walk on the right side of the path. A recent survey collected by Interim Senior Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Rolls Royce-Barshee showed that most complaints lodged against slow walkers stated that the slow walker was from a foreign country, most often Canada, making this part of the course important.

“We understand that this is a serious problem for students and we’re passionate about taking measures that will help resolve this issue,” Boyce-Parodee stated. “This will increase the efficiency of the campus as a whole and we will be able to continually expand the campus to include more buildings without having to increase the time allotted to walk to campus.”