Lets get physical (education)
Sophie Salem, Staff Writer
Sprint! Sprint! Sprint! Come on, run faster! This is high school, run!
Well, that’s the sound of physical education. Running through the scorching turf field, the sun blazing on your back with the smell of rubber wafting through the air. Do not get too excited for that fifth period ultimate frisbee game! It’s true; PE can be really enjoyable, but, other times, not so much. Discussions surrounding high school PE have been brought up more and more over the years, and now students are wondering, should PE even be a graduation requirement for high school students? Is it even worth it?
It’s a difficult question to answer, as both sides pose valid arguments. Of course, it is crucial for teens to be getting exercise on a regular basis, but, at the same time, keeping students in shape is not the responsibility of a school. Samo requires two years of general PE for students that do not play a sport. This has led to a lot of controversy, as many feel as though they do not need to be in a “boring” PE class. Today, exercise is more important than ever, and there may be a solution. If students were required to take PE their freshman year, it would give them the opportunity to get comfortable at their new school and explore the variety of sports they can pursue. Not to mention, exercise has many benefits, especially for teenagers. Not only is exercise great for health, it is also incredible for your brain, putting you in the right headspace to learn. Zcjean Ollesca (’22) agrees that one year of PE is a more reasonable requirement for students.
“One year of PE would give people more room for their beneficial classes,” Ollesca said.
As you get older, Samo gives you more options in terms of your schedule. Without a required PE class, students can explore what they are interested in such as an art class or even autoshop.
According to Steven C. McCartney, a physical education teacher with a Master’s in Exercise Physiology based in New York, less and less teens are getting the exercise they need.
“A decrease in the amount of physical education time in schools contributes to less teen exercise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 19 percent of teens in high school participate in a daily physical education class lasting at least 20 minutes,” McCartney said.
PE is a primary source of exercise for many teens, which makes it crucial to implement into the school day, at least for one year. After that one year, it should be up to students on where they get their exercise, whether that means playing a Samo sport or taking it into their own hands outside of school. For students without PE or a sport, it is still important to move their body to keep themselves healthy, happy and thriving.
