A Safe and Successful Semester

Ramya Herman, Editor in Chief

As LFA approached an unprecedented school year, the community as a whole was forced to make adjustments and sacrifices in several areas of our academic and social lives. The fitness center plays a major role in the Caxy experience for many students, and was also subject to some changes this past fall. 

The new protocols that have been put in place include alterations to the max number of occupants, the timing, the sign in and entrance process, and the “attire”. There are four different time slots where students are able to sign up and go to the gym. They can choose either the 2:30, 4:00, 5:15, or 6:30 time, and must be one of the first 15 to sign up for that slot, as that is the maximum number of students allowed per group. Sign in and a temperature check are required prior to entering the gym, and the student must have their mask on upon entering as well as while working out. There is one entrance at the front of the training room and a separate exit at the back in order to avoid congregating or unnecessary contact.

In order to keep the gym as safe and as germ free as possible, there are multiple sanitizer and cleaning wipe stations placed throughout the gym, as well as a 15 minute buffer between groups so that the equipment can be sanitized and wiped off. With that said, occupants should still be mindful of the space and wipe off any equipment after use. Trainer Eric Ball is the one who primarily does the cleaning, however he acknowledges the great source of assistance that students have been. 

“My seniors have been a big help this year with new protocols, especially Constantine, Zuzanna, and Nicky Mesrobian. They have all chipped in a significant amount to help with keeping things running smoothly up here in the gym.” 

Ball mentions that they also help with bringing up groups, leading warmups, and setting up and breaking down equipment for the day’s workout. He notes that while clean up is more frequent than in previous years, it is not far off from what has been done in the past as far as tasks go and is concluded each day with a nightly cleaning of the space. 

Overall, this system, while not ideal, has been keeping students healthy. While most schools do not have access to their campus, LFA students are able to enjoy both their classroom buildings and the athletic center, and have been doing so in a safe and gracious way, taking care to comply with the restrictions and regulations that have been put in place for their safety. 

Upon reflecting on how things have gone in the gym so far this year, Ball sums up the success of the semester by saying “I do commend my kids for taking all of these new rules and protocols amicably. Though they may not fully understand or agree, they abide by them and we have no issues in the gym.” 

As we enter into winter break, take pride in knowing that we have all done our part to keep our community safe for this first semester, and anticipate how you intend to continue this positive effort when we come together again in January.