To what extent will one go to recieve a Free Mills T-shirt? But not just any Mills T-shirt, a Cyclone Century Club T-shirt. Maybe walk a mile or two? How about clocking in 100 hours of working out? Mills College’s newest club hopes this incentive will get students, staff and faculty to clock in 100 hours.
The Cyclone Century Club was launched this semester and already has 36 members, with 99 percent of the members as students. Members can track their hours online through a website called 411Fit.com.
This club was also created as a result of a Wellness Initiative the college is undertaking. The Wellness Initiative was established by the college as part of the Health Care Reform Act which requires employers to create a wellness initiative. In the long run it would help employees with their premium and develop a healthy employee base.
“Last year the college formed a wellness committee with the goal of putting together initiative for employees and hopefully expand to students,” said Lissa Palanca, Benefits Manager of Mills College.
APER as a group created the Cyclone Century Club program to provide wellness programing for students, faculty, and staff.
“We thought it would be a good way to get people motivated,” said Natalie Spangler, the head athletic trainer and P.E instructor. The Cyclone Century Club is designed to get students physically active and make good use of our fitness resources.
“I would really like to join, just to encourage me to go out and exercise more,” said fresh-woman Jazmin Fortes.
As a way to get more members involved, the club has established workout programs headed by APER staff that are only for members. Workout activities include hitting the tennis courts with tennis coach Loke Davis, and hiking with track and field coach Lache Bailey. Members will also have an opportunity to dance the night away with the Dean of Students, Dr. Joi Lewis at the “dancing with the Dean” workout activity. You can even workout in the water under the instruction of the head swim coach, Neil Virtue, to not only get your heart rate up but to learn how to use the water as a low-impact resistance workout tool.
Crew coach Sara Nevin will be educating members on strength circuit where you learn the correct techniques in weight lifting and learn the correct way to use the machines in the fitness center, along with learning how to using the rowing machine.
The club also has planned events off campus revolving around fitness. Members, students, faculty, and staff can look forward to ice skating & Art walk in Downtown Oakland, a ferry trip to explore Angel Island on March 31, and horseback riding on the beach on April 21st. Prepayment for each event is required in order to reserve your spot.
Fresh-woman, Victoria Kupu shared that with the extra perks she thinks “its really cool.” Kupu also said that she “didn’t know how to use the gym equipment and now I will be able to.”
However not all students are on board with this new club’s incentive.
“The requirement is so big and incentive is so small, it doesn’t level out” said sophomore Jennifer Chou. She later explains that if going to the gym isn’t part of your daily life already, a t-shit as a reward for completing the 100 hours isn’t fulfilling enough.
So if you want to go the distance and receive that free t-shirt along with exposing yourself to different types of physical activities, contact Natalie at nspangle@mills.edu or (510)430-3323 and join!
