Lincoln University to Students: Get in Shape
November 24th, 2009
If you feel bad about the few pounds you might gain from all the good food you’ll be eating over the holiday season, think how the students at Lincoln University might feel.
All students with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher at this Pennsylvania college are required to complete a fitness course before they are eligible to graduate. Lincoln, a historically black university, has made this decision based on research that shows high rates of obesity and diabetes among black people. The campus mandate is effective immediately—which means overweight seniors have just one more semester in which to take the class in question.
According to the Lincolnian, the campus newspaper, students are not too pleased that the administration is taking such a strong stance when it comes to their health. A campus poll indicates that 3 out of 4 students are against using body weight as a factor for graduation.
Granted, Lincoln University is not requiring its students to achieve a certain BMI for graduation; the administration is simply making them take a class that will help them combat obesity. But as any college student knows well—particularly graduating seniors—there are enough requirements already for graduation, and this new one might cause conflicts in class scheduling.
What do you think—is Lincoln University right in its concern for its students, or is it overstepping its bounds and discriminating against the obese? Weigh in on the matter with a comment below.
–Barbara Bellesi
1 Comment Add your own
1. ceebee | December 4th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Unreal. The rules/requirements should be for everyone. Not for a specific class or target. That’s discrimination.
Schools in general are just a joke and a waste of money. Schools are nothing but broken promises and dreams. They teach people nothing of real value. The only thing schools teach is how to be subservient under a “one world government”. No free thinking, no creativity, no independence in schools.
Better off using the internet for learning and education. You learn a lot more than being inside the box. A degree/diploma is nothing but a piece of paper.
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
Trackback this post | Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed