With an increasing demand for mental health services and an obesity crisis, it is important to do all we can to provide incentives for people to live healthier lifestyles. GAPSA passed two resolutions this year with this goal objective. One of them addressed the difficulty of accessing recreation facilities, while the other one emphasize the importance of increasingly the availability of services in the West Bank. Whereas there are around 20 recreation facilities on campus, only one of them is currently located on the West Bank. Rec Sports is planning to built a new recreation center soon, but we are working to provide services for students in the meanwhile.
RESOLUTION
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly—University of Minnesota
Date : September 27, 2012
Author: Alfonso Sintjago, Cody Mikl, Dana Meade, Meghan Mason
Topic: Parking Discount When Attending Exercise Facilities
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WHEREAS, physical activity and a healthy lifestyle can improve the student experience and;
WHEREAS, physical exercise can help to reduce student anxiety and improve individuals’ well-being and;
WHEREAS, students purchase subscriptions to private fitness facilities due to difficulties accessing the University of Minnesota Facilities;
WHEREAS, many university students do not live in University housing and must travel by vehicle to utilize the university facilities;
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the University and its students to maximize the use of its facilities;
WHEREAS, parking ramps are sometimes underutilized and the cost of parking can be prohibiting;
WHEREAS, other facilities offer parking discounts for the use of nearby venues;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly will support the consideration of discounted parking for usage of recreation facilities and;
BE IT RESOLVED, student parking tickets will be stamped or marked to indicate that students have entered and exited the facility to note the time that will be discounted from their parking fee and;
BE IT RESOLVED, students will be notified every semester that they will be able to park for a discounted cost in nearby University of Minnesota parking ramps after regular business hours when there are no special events if they are planning on utilizing a recreation facility.
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RESOLUTION
Graduate and Professional Student Assembly—University of Minnesota
Date : September 12, 2012
Author: Alfonso Sintjago, Cody Mikl, Chet Bodin
Topic: Exercise Space on West Bank
WHEREAS, Exercise facilities are an excellent place for students to gather informally and build friendships which enhances the campus community;
WHEREAS, exercise is a major component of a healthy lifestyle and can improve individual physical health and;
WHEREAS, exercise can also help in reducing student anxiety and improve individuals mental well-being and;
WHEREAS, the proximity of a facility can lead to its increase utilization and impact for a student body and approximately 13,000 students spend the majority of their time on the West Bank;
WHEREAS, obesity and a myriad of related health conditions such as type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease as well as reported mental health problems have increased in recent years
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly will support the consideration and planning of a West Bank Recreation and Wellness facility along with a temporary space until that construction is completed no sooner than 2015;
BE IT RESOLVED, the temporary exercise space to be considered will include machinery that could be used for both strength and cardiovascular training
