At the beginning of STAC 4, the Concord Academy administration announced to the borders that on February 6th, the CA gym would be opening. At first glance, this may not seem like an impactful decision. However, interviews with three CA seniors show how important this change actually is.
Due to the stressful environment of life in a pandemic, many boarders turned to exercise as a way to deal with their emotions. However, many found that upon returning to campus, their emotional outlet was stripped from them. Luckily for them, they only had to deal with a couple of weeks without a CA gym, and many were thankful upon its return.
Yehrim Hwang ’21 said “I rely on weight lifting so heavily for my sanity, it's my way of channeling excess energy and nervous energy, so when it's not open I have nowhere to channel all of that.”
Another senior, Jolyon Breckon '21, seemed to agree with this sentiment. “Just being able to stay sane through all the covid stuff by having a way to work out,” he says.
Furthermore, many veteran gym-users at CA say that this year they have seen many new faces in the gym. When asked about the popularity of the CA gym, Jolyon said “I see new, and especially younger faces every single day. Everyone seems to be jumping on the gym bandwagon as a way to either release stress or get away from it all.”
Finally, it is a relief to say that the fitness center feels safe for the users. Jerry Lamothe '21 said “It might not seem like one of the most covid-safe activities, but CA has made a real effort to make sure everyone in the gym is comfortable. There is frequent sanitization of the gear and there is working ventilation to make sure the air is all fresh.”
Photo courtesy of Shawn Bartok