Derek Remsburg/File

A new cardio and weights facility open to all Recreational Sports Facility members is expected to open Oct. 1 at Memorial Stadium.

The $1.8 million facility, called the Rec Sports Fitness Center, repurposes 5,000 square feet of space in Memorial Stadium and will feature equipment for individuals with disabilities and offer those who live on the east side of campus easier access to workout facilities.

The center aims to provide additional workout space for the campus population. A 2007 study estimated that Cal Rec Sports, which provides recreational facilities for the campus, was only meeting 50 percent of demand.

“We need to provide more space and more opportunities for students, faculty and staff to workout,” said Eric Craypo, communications director at RSF, in an email. “When the space at Memorial Stadium became available, we saw it as an opportunity that we could not pass up.”

According to Craypo, Cal Athletics was looking to extend the use of the newly renovated Memorial Stadium beyond home football games, creating an opportunity to collaborate on the project.

The new center will be open to anyone with an RSF membership. UC Berkeley senior Carly Wasserman, who lives on Northside and goes to the RSF every day, says there is usually insufficient time during the school year to walk to the facility on Southside.

“During the summer, I still really have to motivate myself to go down there,” Wasserman said. “And during the school year, it’s hard to work into my schedule.”

The new space will not have any group classes or courts but will have weights and cardio machines, such as treadmills and elliptical trainers. New features also include a small Technogym Kinesis station, new equipment for individuals with disabilities and private, gender-neutral changing rooms and showers.

Contact Mary Zhou at mzhou@dailycal.org

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ARYA ALIABADI/Staff

Cal alumni Louis Peitzman — a former arts and entertainment editor and a former Sex on Tuesday columnist at The Daily Californian — and Ariane Lange of Buzzfeed fame teamed up recently to create this love letter to Cal. It went viral. In The Daily Clog’s debut use of GIFs, we have composed this updated  list of 40 more signs to recognize a Golden Bear in 2013.

1) You’ve hoarded almost all of your school supplies from Caltopia.

They are giving away free Xbox 360s? Gimme!

2) You’ve mastered the ninja art of flier-dodging on Sproul.

3) You start running when you hear, “Girl Scout cookies for sale!”

4) Or when you see Top Dog empty. 

Lemon chicken or Smoked chicken apple? Decisions, decisions …

5) But to get your CREAM sandwich fix,

That glorious first bite…

6) You will endure anything.

The line starts two blocks away? It just began to rain? Challenge accepted.

7) You wonder whether you spend more time looking for an open seat at Moffitt than you do actually studying.

8) And whether finding an open spot at FSM is even possible.

Seriously. Where did all you people come from?

9) To avoid the late-night lines at RSF, you try to get there early.

10) But all your exercise actually comes from the trek back to your room.

RSF to Foothill? More like Shire to Mt. Doom.

11) You know why blue and gold are the most appropriate colors

Nathan Adrian, three-time Olympic Gold medalist.

12) And have so many reasons to watch the Olympics

Dana Vollmer, four-time Olympic medalist.

13) From the soccer field

Alex Morgan, one-time Olympic gold medalist and 2012 U.S. Soccer Player of the Year

14) To the water course

Erin Cafaro, two-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing.

15) And even the swimming pool

*12-time Olympic medalist. Tied for most medals won for an American woman.

16) Look out, Rio, Cal Bears coming through!

Missy Franklin, four-time Olympic gold medalist.

17) And we mean, seriously …

Dana Vollmer, Natalie Coughlin and Nathan Adrian recreate “Abbey Road” with Michael Phelps

18) You watch movies to find Berkeley references

Now what gate does that look like?

19) Or television shows with familiar personalities

Professor Farnsworth of Futurama is inspired by campus philosophy professor Hubert Dreyfus.

20) And appreciate alumni contribution to college classics

John Cho promoting “Harold and Kumar.”

20) And generational icons.

Cho along with Chris Pine in Star Trek.

21) Sometimes the alumni are generational icons.

Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Inc., delivering the 2013 commencement address at UC Berkeley.

22) Others will lead nations

Haakon Magnus, crown prince of Norway.

23) And all lay claim to the single best mascot of any university.

What you got, Stanfurd??

24) Speaking of which, you turn into an animal during The Big Game

Let those Cardinals know true school pride.

25) And remain an animal for concerts at the Greek Theater.

Green Day is playing? To the Hill, everybody! Who’s with me?

26) You get a heart attack each time you find this in your inbox.

But you secretly admire the subtle passive-aggressiveness.

27) You’ve been aggressively advanced upon by a squirrel

28) And aren’t surprised to find evidence of hipsters in every bathroom stall

29) Or that every class has at least one hipster GSI.

30) You know where to find wizards in your backyard

Bowles = Hogwarts.

31) And have seen Muggles play Quidditch on Memorial Glade.

32) You wonder if the T-Rex from Jurassic Park

33) Was inspired by the giant skeleton in the Valley Life Sciences Building.

34) You have a go-to favorite picture of the Campanile

35) For every

36) Single

37) Possible 

38) Occasion.

39) When someone says you “go to UCB,”

40) You tell ‘em, “I go to Cal.”

You know it. You tell the story. You tell the whole wide world this is bear territory!

This article was made in collaboration with Arya Aliabadi of the photo department and Emily Chin of the multimedia department. 

Image sources: Incase, Astrobuddha, RSammer. Hakan Dahlstrom, Kate Gardiner, MIke_fleming,  John Morgan , D.H.Parks, bil_bly_ca, wallyg under Creative Commons and Arya Aliabadi, Ruby Elizabeth Lee, J. Hannah Lee, Dean Ignacio, Anthony Martinez, courtesy

Contact Alex Mabanta at amabanta@dailycal.org

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J. Hannah Lee/Staff

The UC Berkeley Recreational Sports Facility will implement a one-time fee increase of $3 per month for all nonstudent members starting Sept. 1.

RSF officials say fee hikes are necessary, as the cost of running programs and facilities has risen considerably in several years, but membership fees have not increased.

UC Berkeley faculty and staff fees will increase annually from $420 per year to $456 per year. Community members, defined as people who are not associated with the university, will see their annual fees increase from $744 to $780, and fees for alumni will rise from $648 to $684 per year.

For community members, the fee increase will not affect short-term memberships, day passes or the Cal Star Program, a membership plan for individuals with disabilities. The $10 semester membership fee UC Berkeley students pay to use the facility will also not increase.

“This increase is needed to offset rising costs of current operations,” said director of recreational sports Mike Weinberger, who cited a mandated 2 percent raise for all nonunionized university employees, implemented by former chancellor Robert Birgeneau in March. He said that benefits and salaries are the facility’s largest expenses.

“Cal Rec Sports does not have the power to shift the costs to currently enrolled students,” Weinberger said. “The only (guaranteed) funding we get from the university comes from campus-based fees, so we have to come up with the money elsewhere.”

Enrolled students pay compulsory campus-based fees, which are used to fund the university’s programs and facilities and cannot be changed without a student government referendum. Referendums passed in 1981 and 2006 authorized some of the fees currently funding RSF operations.

Weinberger added that a membership fee increase was planned even if a referendum from earlier this year, the health and wellness referendum, had gone into effect. The referendum would have increased student fees by $40 per semester to help fund the RSF but was nullified in May.

Ted Friedman, a Berkeley resident who has been using RSF for 15 years, said the RSF’s new price, when compared to other gyms in the area, is still a bargain.

“This is one of the best gyms in the Bay Area, and if there’s a need to keep it running, I’m OK with paying a little extra,” Friedman said.

Contact Dennis Vidal at dvidal@dailycal.org.

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The summer season is upon us, and that means there’s more time to take care of yourself — and a lot of us can’t use the excuse that we have to study when we’re trying to avoid exercise. The benefits of going out for a run once in a while are obvious and immediate: shaping up, improving your mood, getting tan and connecting with the outside world. Here are some spots we think are worth checking out before the school year starts up again.

1. The Berkeley Fire Trails. Up Centennial Drive is an extensive network of dirt trails connecting Berkeley to the wilderness in the hills.
The Good: There are plenty of panoramic views of Berkeley. Tough slopes are balanced by long, even trails. You might encounter woodland creatures.
The Bad: Seasonal allergies might be set off by the pollen. The roadside trail there can get too narrow and slippery. There are some downhill parts you’re probably be better walking down. You might encounter a mountain lion.
Bottom Line: It’s perfect for a one- to two-hour run.

2. Campus itself. Getting from Southside to Northside is basically a workout. So why not throw on your running shoes and step it up a bit?
The Good: Predictable paths make it easy to design the kind of run you want. It’s safer than other outdoor runs at night.
The Bad: School might be the very thing you are running from.
Bottom Line: It’s perfect for night running or a light jog with your friends.

3. The RSF. These training facilities are highly equipped and well-lit.
The Good: You can do workouts besides running. It has an energetic atmosphere. Water fountains are nearby. It’s open late.
The Bad: It can get noisy. You run in place.
Bottom Line: A perfect place to run between classes.

4. To the Berkeley Marina and back. Take Virginia Street up and down for an incredible, scenic nine-mile run.
The Good: It’s a straight shot. You can explore the residential and maritime elements of Berkeley. Virginia is a quiet street.
The Bad: The gradual uphill on the way back is killer.
Bottom Line: It’s a perfect run if you’re free all morning or afternoon.

5. The track at Clark Kerr.
The Good: The track is well maintained and easy on joints. It’s like what you had in high school — multiplied by a coolness factor of 10.
The Bad: It’s at Clark Kerr.
Bottom Line: It’s your standard track, perfect for specific running exercises.

Know a spot perfect for running? Got any tips for fellow runners? Let us know in the comments.

Image source: Flickred! under Creative Commons

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org

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Summer readers, lifelong bookworms, nerds and closet nerds have another reason to be happy in Berkeley. According to Amazon, Berkeley is among the top 20 “most well-read” cities in the country. Though rankings are determined by sales alone, we can experience Berkeley’s bibliophilia just by walking around. Our campus offers many stylish libraries with cafes, gardens and smoking areas in tandem. Northside, Southside and Downtown Shattuck are home to bookstores like Moe’s Books, Bookish, University Press Bookstore, Revolutionary Books and Eastwind Books of Berkeley — where book lovers find fascination like thieves in a gem-studded grotto. At bars and pizza places, locals read. On the bus, BART or ellipticals at the RSF, students read. Even on the Fire Trails, hikers stop to take in the view and read.

Behind the scenes, too, Berkeley is where books are happening. Indie and conventional publishers and distributors are located here, along with luminary writers, poets and thinkers such as Robert Hass, Vikram Chandra, Michael Chabon, Lyn Hejinian, Maxine Hong Kingston, Mark Danner, Robert Reich and Isabel Allende. Berkeley itself has been the backdrop of novels such as “Dhrama Bums,” “The Crying of Lot 49″ and “Telegraph Avenue.” The iconic poem of the Beat generation, “Howl” by Allen Ginsburg, was composed in a guest house on Southside.

Besides school, food, commerce and creativity, what makes reading a Berkeley thing and not a San Francisco thing or even a (sssssss) Stanford thing? Is it because we toiling students want to discover deeper meaning by reading self-help books (for the sterotypical Haas student), Kurt Vonnegut (for the sterotypical hipster) or David Foster Wallace (for the stereotypical English major)? Could it be that we are always bombarded with countercultural, anti-establishment, granola-loving ideas that we are driven to seek out the truth for ourselves? Is it because we can’t wait to find out what happens in the newest episode of “Game of Thrones” or the latest spinoff of “Twilight?” Or is it that the fog, that white blanket of soaring water, that enchants us to snuggle up and play morning and evening with one of the mysteries of life?

Who really knows? Maybe we’ll find out in the next book we come across.

Image source: Sharada Prasad CS under Creative Commons

Contact Josh Escobar at jescobar@dailycal.org.

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SEAN CONNERS/Staff

In a dimly lit room at the back of the RSF, past the rows of treadmills and tired faces on the first floor, change is brewing. Change is littered all over the floor in tiny, multicolored balls and silver golfing clubs. It is in the faces of the room’s occupants, some of whom have never been inside the RSF before. This summer at UC Berkeley, one class, Golf With Marty, will historically change the way golf is taught at the collegiate level.

“After all, it’s not every day that you see people who are blind hitting a golf ball,” quipped class coach Marty Turcios.

However, his physical condition puts him in a unique position as a coach. Turcios has cerebral palsy, a congenital condition affecting the nervous system that requires lifelong therapy. There is no cure. But none of this stops Turcios. For the past two decades, Turcios has become one of the first coaches in the world to teach golf with cerebral palsy. Having personally instructed between 50 to 100 golfers in his career, many from high schools around the Bay Area, Turcios is now coming to Cal to teach golf, and anyone from any background is invited.

A new kind of summer class

Marty Turcios, coach for Golf With Marty

Golf With Marty is part of Fitness for All, a collaborative project pioneering increased sports accessibility to every margin of the Berkeley community. Last spring, Fitness for All and its advisory committee commanded national headlines with the acclaim of their first-of-its-kind two-unit Goalball class. Riding a current of optimism, Matt Grigorieff and Jessica Adams, lead coordinators for Goalball and recent Cal grads, have dedicated themselves to making Golf With Marty every bit as successful.

For the 3,647 Berkeley students with disabilities (according to the Office of Equity and Inclusion in 2012) as well as 1,500 disabled Cal staff and faculty, Grigorieff and Adams’ efforts open countless opportunities. In this class, students who have never been able to play sports now train shoulder-to-shoulder with RSF regulars. Everyone gets one-on-one attention with coach Turcios — no one is pushed away.

Ed Roberts would be proud. Roberts, a Cal alumi and prominent leader of the disability rights movement, fought to make UC Berkeley and the country more tolerant and accessible for everyone. Golf With Marty continues his progress. Aiming to provide a rewarding experience for each and every student, the class inaugurates an exciting new chapter in Cal’s history.

“UC Berkeley has always been the leader in making all fields of education accessible,” explained junior Judith Lung, who is visually impaired. “This class continues Cal’s legacy in accessibility in sports and fitness.”

To accommodate everyone, the class is modified — not, as Lung puts it, “compromised.” The class is held indoors on the lowest level of the RSF, a convenient on-campus location that is wheelchair-accessible.  Special equipment, such as target nets and custom golf balls, improves the precision of swings.  In this manner, Turcios teaches golfing fundamentals and technique.  He advises newcomers to train with him before heading out to the golf fields.

“Before you go out and spend time and  money, you should have a good idea what you are doing,” Turcios said. “I’m going to teach you the game.” He has seen firsthand how people fall out of love with golf and outlines how newcomers to the game sign up for costly private lessons and buy expensive gadgets before even playing.

“It’s not worth it,” he summarized.

Lessons learned

For junior Ann Kwong, simply hitting a golf ball brings bursts of joy. Kwong, who is also visually impaired, held gnawing doubts before entering the class. In a sport in which a diminutive ball must travel through an impossibly vast playing field, having eyesight can be particularly helpful. Uncertainty racing through her mind was paralyzing to her judgment.

“Why should I come to golf?” she asked. “I don’t think I can play golf. I don’t know what I am hitting.  I can’t see what I’m hitting. So I don’t think I will enjoy it.”

Kwong took a leap of faith. After a few lessons with Marty, her misgivings completely died away. Again and again, she putts the ball with satisfying consistency.

Ann Kwong, internal president for the Disabled Students Union, adjusts the golfing tee

“Have an open mind,” she advised.  ”Don’t be afraid of failure and not hitting something for the first time. Because with practice and an open mind, you will learn the proper skills to hit  (the ball).”

Kwong credits all of her success to Turcios’ dedication as a coach. Turcios, universally known for his patience, can be found on his knees, resetting the golf ball and tee along with Kwong and Lung. This subtlety is integral. Once visually impaired people stand upright in preparation to take a swing, they lose physical connection with the ball they have just primed. Though a sighted person needs only stare at the ball to gauge the next move, a nonsighted person has to conceptualize the ball’s relative position.

“A sighted person can learn by modeling through observation,” Kwong explained. “I can’t do that. I’ve had previous instructors where, (when) I couldn’t hit the ball and I couldn’t do this position … they will give up.” But she’s had a completely different experience with Turcios: “Marty is so patient. If I’m not doing (a swing) correctly, he’ll patiently explain it again. As many times and as slowly as I need. Marty will tell me, ‘This is how you grip,’ (and he’ll) get on the ground with me and show me how to align. I really appreciate him physically showing me instead of just telling me. When I get frustrated, he says, ‘Don’t worry about it. Practice, and you’ll get it. Don’t overthink. Remember GPA. You’ve got this.’ That really, really helps.”

GPA refers to “Grip, Position, Alignment.” The pun is a Turcios original and highly appropriate. On a day when thinking about college classes was distracting from gameplay, Turcios found a way to get Kwong to rework her attention. Many students recall how specific and tailored Turcios’ lessons are to individual needs. Before players swing, Turcios delivers precise instructions from minute foot readjustment to chin extension. He demonstrates what he means, each and every time. Players take a shot. Bull’s-eye.

With more than 47 years of golf experience, Turcios possesses a gold mine of information. Sophomore Alisha Howell knows this firsthand. In her lessons with Turcios, Howell has come to appreciate the nuances and lingo of the game.

“I learned that different golf clubs are used to make the golf ball go different distances,” Howell said. “I learned a lot of vocabulary: putting green, driving range, seven-iron and nine-iron — and how you tell the difference. Before this class, I thought those were some kind of construction tools.”

Breaking glass ceilings

Grigorieff explains why hiring Turcios to coach Berkeley’s accessible golfing class alters history.

“From an institutional point of view, the gym is one of the last places you will find an employee with a disability working,” he said. “That’s just the reality of it, unfortunately, and by hiring Marty, we are trying to break that notion and have UC Berkeley employ people throughout society. People with disabilities don’t work in the fitness area, and we want to change that.”

Turcios himself is no stranger to discrimination in the work place.  In spite of decades of success in his very own foundation, cynics have doubted and criticized him at every step of his career.

“I’ve had people come into my class and walk out and never come back,” he recalled.  ”Or they call their supervisors and say, ‘How dare you call this a golf class.’”

Turcios’ experiences with discrimination are common in workplaces all across the country. Despite two decades of expanded civil rights to disabled people under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, unemployment for people with disabilities remains a major economic problem for many. According to the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor, only 20.7 percent of people with disabilities participated in the American labor force last May. In the same study, 69.1 percent of people without disabilities participated in the labor force.

Unemployment rates are equally telling. In May 2013, the unemployment rate for people without disabilities nationally was 7 percent (down from 7.7 percent in May 2012). The unemployment rate for people with disabilities was nearly double that. Last May, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 13.6 percent (up from 12.9 percent one calendar year before). For junior Desiree Robedeaux, external president of the Disabled Students Union, the enormous economic inequality between those with and without disabilities is a telltale sign of social injustice.

“There is no reason why a person with dyslexia, a person with cerebral palsy and a person without a disability cannot coexist in the same work place — people with disabilities are just as capable if not more capable of success (as) those without disabilities,” she said, clarifying, “Because life has presented these individuals with so many challenges that these individuals have overcome, disability should be embraced by employers and should be perceived as a factor that shows strength and perseverance, not incapability. ”

For Lung, overcoming obstacles — in this case, mastering her drive — is met with open arms. Though self-described as “athletically-challenged,” Lung is prepared to give golf her all.

“With practice and learning from the best teacher in Marty, I can be good at a sport too,” she said.

Judith Lung, with a smile, drives the golf ball across court.

“Golf With Marty” is held every Wednesday.  Two identical classes run back-to-back from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Enrollment is ongoing, and space is still available. The program is made possible by grants from the National Alliance for Accessible Golf in partnership with the U.S. Golf Association

Image sources: Sean Conners, staff

Contact Alex Mabanta at amabanta@dailycal.org.

The post An inside look at Cal’s life-changing golf class appeared first on The Daily Californian.

For those of you unaware of the typical behavior of certain phallic genitalia — which probably extends to very few of us at Cal — they tend to perspire. The highest concentrations of these moist, dripping reproductive organs tend to be around those who emerge from the RSF without showering, those exhausted from their long climb up to Foothill and the people flyering on Sproul in the scorching heat. This can often cause discomfort and self-consciousness in those who suffer from this affliction. Elmwood’s iteration of the Lululemon Athletica Store, however, has fortunately remedied this problem. Their advertisement for boxer briefs, to the chagrin of many, reads “Got Sweaty Balls?”

This comes as a bit of a surprise, considering that the founder of Lululemon, Chip Wilson, believes in a key value from the Ayn Rand novel “Atlas Shrugged” — that people should pursue self-interest while naked. Naked, synonymous with the phrase “without clothes,” would imply that boxer briefs are not necessary in day-to-day life — yet one of his stores has displayed a controversial advertisement that goes against Wilson’s moral code.

But new evidence has brought to light that this may not be the case — employees at the Elmwood branch were responsible for the content and design of the ad, which was unsanctioned by the corporate headquarters located in Vancouver. A manager who went by the veiled alias “Joshua” called the display “unusual” and hinted that it would only be up in the store’s window for a little longer.

The store is not-so-conveniently located on College and Ashby — far enough away that your balls will definitely be sweaty by the time you finally get there. We at the Clog are currently unsure if they live up to the “Best. Boxer Briefs. Ever.” submotto, but with a price range upwards of $24, there must be something magical about them. There is no word yet on whether the briefs are in fact infused with seaweed, as the company has previously claimed with other products.

Reactions to the ad were imaginably mixed, ranging from outrage to mild amusement — the latter presumably on the part of adolescent young boys. One passerby noted that the campaign fails in terms of its marketing strategy since the great people of Elmwood do not experience sweaty balls. Naturally, the heightened conversation about the subject — for better or for worse — did draw attention to the store. The ad also spawned concerned parents looking for some decency and people who don’t mind a bit of harmless fun.

If you’re interested in sporting some boxers, the sculpted mannequins do look rather good in these multicolored undergarments — and we’re quite sure that their balls aren’t the slightest bit sweaty.

Image source: D.F. Walton (left) and Raj Taneja (right) under Creative Commons

Contact Uday at umehta@dailycal.org or follow him on Twitter at @mehtakid.

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Bam, it’s June. If you haven’t carried a water bottle and earphones while wearing sweatpants and exercising shoes at the same time, this probably means that your fitness thing isn’t working out so well. According to get-fit tradition, summer’s like Christmas. The idea is to work your buttocks off for what feels like forever to get exactly what you want. But, really. This is Berkeley. Sometimes the elliptical just has to step down to the almighty textbook. But if there’s going to be any crucial stepping stone to shaping the body you want, it’s about getting your a** to the gym. But no need to fret! If the all-too-public RSF has made your health goals seem like an impossible feat, the Daily Clog has some things you should keep in mind in order to get that routine going:

1. Build muscle & build confidence. Mental health is just as important as physical health. You could have the most bangin’ body in the world, but insecurity can wear down anyone. Confidence and personality are what reveals the true beauty that matters. Demonstrating your love for the skin you’re in shows strength and independence — qualities in any great person.

2. Does my butt look big? Who cares if you’re skinny? Equating that photo-shopped ultra-skinniness magazines create to beauty is a messed up social construction that fools people into believing that until we’re a size 2, we’re just not good enough. This is complete and utter bull$hit. Even for those who have inherited the magical always-thin gene, everyone’s body is different. You’re body is one of a kind — that’s why it’s so beautiful.

The real question is, do you want to live? Trust us, if you dedicate some time to fitness, you’ll be more than happy with your body. And look, the gym isn’t as miserable as you think. It can actually be pretty fun once you get used to it. And don’t fall for some two-step magical weight loss thing that was supposedly endorsed by Dr. Oz. We’ll break it to you now: It’s not going to work, and (most importantly) it’s probably not the healthiest thing in the world.

3. It hurts so good! Said no one ever. Well, maybe you know some people who’ve said this, but the idea is to keep pushing. The mind plays a significant role in exercising. It’s all about building stamina and can sometimes be seen as a question of how long can you keep pushing yourself. Set reachable goals every time, but make sure that they are motivating goals. And don’t worry if your body is a bit sore — that probably means that you’re doing something right. With every elliptical stride, step, sit-up, push-up or half-a-mile you run, remember that each moment of what feels like pain makes you stronger.

And as always, safety’s first! You’re probably not an award-winning Olympian, so make sure to take it easy with new gym equipment.

4. I can’t do it. Yes, you can.

5. Remember, you are beautiful. Before you assume that this next blurb is full of that inspirational crap you’ve heard before, really consider your beauty. So what if your milkshake didn’t bring all the boys to the yard? Though at times it may be hard to believe, take a minute to appreciate your friends, family, and that (currently non-existent or existent) special someone who would love you regardless of what you are. These are the people who matter.

When accomplishing your health goals, it’s important to remember that you’re doing this for yourself. Honestly, no one cares. At the end of the day, everyone’s pretty much concerned about themselves. If you’re looking to impress anyone, it should be yourself. Take pride in your small steps, no matter how tiny they are. Regardless of how hardcore you begin, you should be proud about making progress. Anyone can get healthy — that’s a fact. Determination, discipline and persistent belief in yourself can oftentimes do the trick.

Have any words of encouragement for gym newbies? Please share in the comments!

Image source: JAMES LORD productions under Creative Commons

Contact Karen Kwaning at kkwaning@dailycal.org.

The post 5 summer gym routine reminders appeared first on The Daily Californian.

ERIC CRAYPO/Courtesy

What do you get when you combine the efforts of the chief medical officer of the Beijing Olympics, a former professional soccer player turned Chancellor’s Public Scholar, a former Paralympic athlete, a coach from the Bay Area Outreach and Recreations Program, the director of the American Cultures Engaged Scholarship program, a Haas scholar, an intern for Fitness for All and a handful of students having fun in the most extraordinary of circumstances?

Meet Cal’s Goalball. Having only finished its first semester, the sport is already making national news.

“UC Berkeley is the first university in America to offer Goalball as an academic class for credit,” Matt Grigorieff, the architect behind the project, proudly tells us. “And that is fantastic.”

The class is a two-unit supplement to “American Sport, Culture and Education,” a class that fulfills the campuswide AC requirement. Each session is split into half theory and half playtime. After students discuss their readings, they engage in a rousing game at the RSF’s Blue Gym, a massive indoor court on the third floor. The game pits two teams of three against each other, and players score by throwing  balls into the opposing team’s goal.

The catch?

All players wear blindfolds.

Playing on a different team

For junior Alec Sundly, D-1 center midfielder for Cal’s men’s soccer team, maintaining leadership on his side of the court is paramount for victory. He nods at his two teammates, completely confident in their game. But this is the first time either player has ever been to the RSF (to say nothing of the fact that neither teammate has never played a sport before in his life). Sundly grins. He whispers a quick strategy, stretches his legs and then leaps into position. He can already feel the win.

The two teams wait for the command from the referee: “Eyeshades down. Quiet, please! Center! Play!”

In a rapid exchange, the bell-containing ball is tossed from one end of the court. Players duck, jump and dive into each other in an effort to protect the goal. Special tape on the floor helps the crawling players to “feel” where they are in the absence of their eyesight. If the team succeeds in blocking a score, possession changes.

Sweat glistens. Lungs expand. In the final score, Sundly’s team edges a narrow triumph of seven points to six. For a varsity Golden Bear, Sundly has a particularly even game. He scores two points! His two teammates, self-described as “athletically challenged,” divide the five. On this court, the playing field is equal.

Fitness for all

Ann Kwong is the internal president for the Disabled Students Union. Unlike Sundly, Kwong is visually impaired and travels around with a cane. Before Berkeley, athletics were the last thing on her mind.

“When I was a child, I never really understood the fascination my sighted peers had with sports,” she admits. “I didn’t feel like I was able to connect with them.”

All of this changed in the past year. Members in the Disabled Student’s Union expressed discontent with being unable to participate in sports teams. From able-bodied basketball to football, disabled students readily acknowledged the lack of athletic opportunities available to them. Then came the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program’s support in establishing Goalball — Berkeley style.

Goalball player makes a pass. Notice the eyeshades.

Grigorieff and Jessica Adams, both sighted Cal seniors, paired up to organize the discussion part of the class. Teaming with two BORP Goalball coaches, Brandon Young (nonsighted) and Jonathan Newman (sighted), the four have worked to create the most inclusive athletics class in the university’s history. With the guidance of Professor Derek Van Rheenen, the class has attracted students of all abilities.

Kwong beams, “Now, I realize sports are fun. It’s something you have to experience firsthand to understand — the feeling of belonging when you are part of the team or the sense of achievement when you are able to score a goal.” Her voice softening, she adds, “That’s something that rarely happens in reality.”

Fighting stereotypes

Grigorieff incorporates scholarly texts regarding issues within the disabled community in regular discussion. Textbook problems, he has come to realize, are alive in society today.

“A lot of times people, with visual disabilities are sort of seen by the sighted world as a totally helpless person, but that’s not true,” he argues.

Adams adds, “We learned that society tends to polarize nonsightedness. They think it’s black and white. They don’t realize that blindness is a spectrum.”

According to Professor Rod Michalko of the University of Toronto, 97 percent of people with visual impairment can still see. A person is defined as legally blind if he or she cannot recognize the biggest E on an eye chart from 20 feet away.  In this manner, not passing the test really can change a person’s life, as nonsighted individuals undergo such marginalization. One function of Goalball is to address this social stigma head-on. By including input from the entire sight spectrum, participants in the class gain thought-provoking perspectives.

“I feel like it’s the nonsighted students who are teaching the class,” Adams says. “They teach the class by the way they relate to the text.”

Sundly agrees. Input from his nonsighted classmates has challenged his preconceptions and inspired him.

“You build more respect of what (nonsighted people) have to go through on a daily basis, (and) what society is doing is being too judgmental. You learn in playing Goalball that we are all human beings and that we are always equal.”

The feeling of equality is echoed by almost everyone. Kwong says, “I feel like the No. 1 thing I appreciate is everyone is on an equal playing field. I can participate in the same activity with the same ability. Instead focusing on “the strongest” or “the fastest,” goal ball (emphasizes) skills, practice and teamwork – which is a new way to think about sports.”

Sundly’s team blocking a shot

This is not to say that Goalball is not physically demanding. Nonsighted senior Erik Elveback warns against the misconception that Goalball is “easy.” Teammates must coordinate movements through foot-tapping to prevent players from going out of bounds or wandering off the court.

“This sport is very difficult for everybody that plays because for most students, they have never used hearing as the main method of playing a sport,” Adams explains.

Winning off and on the court

Sundly translates skills from Goalball into new techniques to improve his soccer performance. As a midfielder, he lists blocking farther and throwing harder as valuable interdisciplinary lessons Goalball has taught him. Because the ball used in Goalball is heavier than a soccer ball, Sundly has benefited from weight training in a completely unexpected manner. As for foot-tapping, Sundly points out that Goalball has taught him to position himself better on the soccer field as well as give clearer communication to teammates.

Soccer skills were not the only gifts players gained from Goalball. For Young, it is the scale of bonding that has been “mind-altering.” On the last day of practice, Goalball players celebrated with cheers and heartwarming hugs.

Newman points out that the camaraderie is a sign of the game’s success.

He explains, “What I really enjoyed about this class is how much they all liked Goalball. Every single one of them.”

“It creates new friendships that students hadn’t imagined before,” Adams expresses. “I think its true for everybody in the class.”

The future

For Grigorieff, Goalball is set to thrive. His far-reaching plans aim to help everybody involved.

Matt Grigorieff, the architect behind Goalball, with a player

“Some people are not included in sports, and that’s something we at UC Berkeley want to change,” he says. “I think Berkeley can lead the way to promote inclusion. Goalball is not only a class but could be a club team for the campus. One day, (it could) turn into a varsity sport with scholarships. We want inclusion at the highest level in varsity sports.”

In the fall semester, Goalball will be available for everyone to play. Many players this semester were so touched that they have indicated they are returning to grow a community.

“I love Goalball and I want to continue assisting it — I believe in the cause,” Adams says, firmly. Then, with a laugh, she admits: “Goalball is pretty tight.”

To see Goalball in action, check out the video here.

Image sources: Eric Craypo, courtesy.

Contact Alex Mabanta at amabanta@dailycal.org.

The post Introducing Goalball, Cal’s most inclusive sport appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Steven Pham/Courtesy

A bill proposed to the ASUC Senate aims to support the dance community on the UC Berkeley campus.

The bill, SB 213, is sponsored by Student Action Senator Rosemary Hua and Student Action Senator-elect Lauren Week and will help dance groups on campus find spaces to practice. Hua, a dancer herself, hopes the bill will raise awareness of the issue.

“Hopefully, with this bill we’re showing the school that there’s a huge need (for practice space),” Hua said. “Our community is suffering.”

According to Hua, there are more than 15 dance groups on campus, encompassing approximately 600 students. Primarily, these groups hold practice on Lower Sproul, in front of Haas Pavilion and in Hearst Gym.

However, scheduling time for the spaces in Hearst Gym is often complicated, said Week, and with Lower Sproul closing this year for construction, available dance spaces will be increasingly difficult to find.

“Currently, dance groups have been forced to dance in the parking structures underneath the RSF and Underhill Field, which is dirty and unsafe, especially at night when most of our groups practice,” said Week in an email. “This is why SB 213 is so crucial.”

Hua negotiated a $33,000 contract with Recreational Sports Director Michael Weinberger to open up Strawberry Canyon Recreational Area for dancers during the current school year.

Weinberger said that working with the ASUC has been a great experience and that Rec Sports would be willing to continue working with the dance community as long as the ASUC can continue to supply funding.

“We’re very much willing to continue (the contract),” Weinberger said. “We just need to cover staffing. That’s where the money is going.”

Despite the addition of Strawberry Canyon, some members of the dance community still expressed concern about finding sufficient practice spaces. Although Strawberry Canyon has been helpful in alleviating the problem of limited space, Berkeley Ballroom member Caitlyn Keith said it can be difficult and inconvenient for larger dance groups to find transportation to Strawberry Canyon, and space is still limited for all dance groups.

Hua said she hopes the bill and the agreement made with Rec Sports will foster a positive relationship between the campus and the dance community.

“I’m hoping that this bill will also show the Rec Center that we’re thankful for what’s happening,” Hua said.

SB 213 will be discussed in the senate’s external committee on Monday then voted on during Wednesday’s senate meeting.

Contact Jennie Yoon at jyoon@dailycal.org.

The post ASUC Senate bill aims to provide campus dance groups more practice spaces appeared first on The Daily Californian.