With the arrival of COVID-19 came multiple changes to how people live their lives. One of the many things that has changed because of the pandemic is how schools are operating this year.
As Winthrop students return to campus, a large amount of their classes will still be hybrid or completely online, but what about Physical Education, Sport, and Human Performance classes?
Some PESH courses, such as yoga and weight training, have many sections that are scheduled to be solely online this fall. Others, like fitness walking and beginning swimming, will operate as hybrid classes so that only half of the students in a class will meet in-person at a time.
According to Geoff Morrow, director of the Outdoor Education Center and the Basic Instruction Program, “in the past five months, a tremendous amount of time and consideration has been focused on making preparations for course delivery this fall.” He said that all decisions were made to comply with state and CDC guidelines.
Morrow also said he has concerns since this is a new experience for him, and he believes that it will take students time to get used to the multiple learning environments. However, he said he knows Winthrop students and teachers are up for the challenge.
“If there is one thing that I am sure of heading into this new term, it is the strength and resilience of the Winthrop community,” Morrow said.
Sarah Rowe, a junior human nutrition major, is still excited about her PESH class but is not looking forward to wearing a mask while doing a high intensity workout.
“We won’t be able to get the quality of education we would normally get [in a non-] COVID-19 restricted environment,” Rowe said.
Rowe, who is taking PESH 108 Cardio Dance and Tone, also said she is worried about not getting as much instruction because her class is only scheduled to meet once a week and has to adhere to West Center cleaning guidelines when doing so.
Joni Boyd, associate professor of exercise science, said that while being in a pandemic and not having that physical interaction is undesirable, exercise science classes began moving online years ago.
“A lot of universities were moving one credit physical education classes online,” she said. “We didn’t want Clemson and [University of South Carolina] students to have things that [Winthrop students] couldn’t.”
According to Boyd, PESH classes are safer to do online because respiration rate can triple while working out which elevates the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Boyd said that the professors in the PESH department have taken online training to help better prepare them to teach online classes.
Boyd also acknowledged that being online has its setbacks. She said she believes that for the exercise science students, since they must teach, the teaching will be difficult for them online. She also said that for her as a professor it will be challenging to train virtually.
Boyd said that without competent faculty this semester would not be possible. She said that while this situation is not ideal, the PESH faculty is prepared.
Photo by Olivia Esselman
