Fundamentals of Outdoor Adventure is new course
March 11, 2003
The Department of Health and Human Performance has some unique classes offered for both summer terms this year.
Michael Norris, program coordinator for the health and human performance, said physical education majors and non-physical education majors can participate in the class Fundamentals of Outdoor Adventure.
The class for physical education majors only will be from May 19 to June 13 while the non-physical education majors session will be from June 16 through July 11.
“Students will be able to participate in outdoors skills and appreciation of nature. Students will go out and do a weekend of camping at the Greater Des Moines YMCA camp,” Norris said. “We want the students to go outside and enjoy the outdoors.”
A class that will be back after having a big success last summer is Triathlon Training. Students need to be able to swim 50 yards in freestyle form, run one mile, and need to own a bicycle.
“When people think of the word ‘triathlon,’ they think Ironman,” Norris said. “That’s not the case that will be learn in the class. There’s different distances in triathlons and students will learn about those different types of distances.”
Erik Lind, graduate student in health and human performance, will be teaching Physical-Fitness-Bicycling, a new class offered this summer. Techniques of cycling, quality care and road safety will be taught.
“The students will learn about the broad exposure of cycling. There may be a day where students might go and ride RAGBRAI,” Lind said. “Learning about handling and taking care of your bike will be like driver’s education. Students will learn how to change a flat tire on the side of the road.”
Norris said that the health and human performance department wants all its classes to have secured numbers by Dead Week to determine whether the class will be offered in the summer or not. However, students can sign up for the classes on the first day of the session.