PHOTO CREDIT: KEVIN WOLF
By Annie Sullivan
It’s that time of year again, Panthers.
Each shop in the Circle has dressed its entrance with bright green wreaths and twinkling lights, final exams have started to rear their ugly heads, and students have taken over the campus fitness center and surrounding gyms.
It’s Undie Run season.
From final projects to exams, this time of year is a notoriously stressful time. As a sophomore double major in political science and public relations & advertising, Emily Blumhardt, is aware of the amount of work that needs to be completed before the holidays can truly begin.
But the work isn't all academically based.
In fact, it’s a different type of work entirely.
“During this time of the year, working on your physical fitness and getting in shape becomes a priority,” Blumhardt said. “I go to gym three times as often leading up to the holidays.”
Blumhardt isn’t alone in this observation. According to junior kinesiology major and fitness center regular, Alex Siegel, there’s always a significant increase in students using the fitness center in the weeks leading up to Undie Run. He added, “you’ll see everyone include a long abdominal routine into their workout as we get closer."
In a time when school is most overwhelming, and time consuming, students’ focus has shifted away from academics, and towards physical fitness.
Now, before you get your pre-ordered undies in a wad, this is not necessarily a bad thing.
According to the New York Times, countless studies have discovered a beneficial relationship between physical activity and overall health and well-being. A report presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s 57th annual meeting found that college students who regularly engage in vigorous exercise get better grades.
This study isn’t the first to provide results like this. In other words, this link between physical activity and higher academic achievement is not an exaggeration used to motivate students to stay healthy; it’s a respected conclusion drawn from many extensive, well-executed research studies.
So although it may seem counterintuitive, the sizable focus placed around physical activity right before Undie Run, may not be detrimental to the success of Chapman students during finals week.
Instead, this shift in focus may be beneficial for students.
“Because the idea of running around undressed can be so nerve-wracking, Undie Run almost serves as a much-needed distraction during finals week,” said senior communication studies major Jordan Batti, “and the endorphins from the extra workouts don’t suck either.”
UNDIE RUN IS A BIANNUAL TRADITION IN WHICH STUDENTS RUN FROM CAMPUS TO OLD TOWNE ORANGE AND BACK IN THEIR SKIVVIES.
ARTIST CREDIT: BIANCA ADAMO
The biannual run, although absurd in its own right, gives Chapman students something relaxing and humorous to focus on, and work towards, aside from final exams.
“The upcoming run has helped me to stay motivated and on schedule,” Batti said. “And as a senior, or any age student, these two traits are hard to come by as the holidays grow nearer.
So join the herds of students taking advantage of Chapman’s fitness center and the other opportunities for fitness on campus, it might even help you pass your final exams, and survive until the holidays.
