Students are required to take Wellness Physical Education (PE) for three semesters or take two sports to cancel out two semesters. During PE, students are also required to go to our pool for three weeks and to participate because it’s graded. Many students have mixed feelings about going into the pool; many people find it entertaining, while others don’t like it at all, and see it as possibly a waste of time that makes up a majority of their grade.
Every semester, teachers follow the same order in going into the pool: Urquhart, Gagon, Wentworth, and Currier. Although the gym teachers have the same number of weeks to be in the pool, they do different activities depending on the teachers and students. “When I had pool, both of my teachers allowed us to play games, like volleyball and Battleship. I think Battleship was very fun,” Sophomore Laurene Pierre-Louis-Pierre stated.
Even though different people’s pool experiences are unique, students rely on a popular opinion that has to deal with choosing either the pool or the regular gym.
Sophomore Sheilyn Garcia said that she “dislikes the pool because it requires the use of the school showers afterwards.” She also noted that “it’s uncomfortable because it is easy for hair to get wet, and it makes it more difficult to get to class on time.” Many students, including Sophomore Kimberly Lones, Jhillian Dumo, and Pierre-Louis-Pierre, also stated the negative sides of the pool, which only included the hassle of changing, taking a shower, etc.
Despite the negative comments about a part of the pool, these students also shared positive ones. “It’s enjoyable because it feels less like a workout and more like playing. Plus, the water makes everything feel lighter, less tiring, and releases stress,” Dumo shared. Lones added that the pool is more “enjoyable when there are games” and “people aren’t forced to go in.”
“I enjoy pool because it is more enjoyable than doing the regular warm-ups and exercises in the gymnasium,” Sophomore Nelcy Cantoral pronounced. She also shares that after gym, she is all “sweaty” and the thought of not being “humid and uncomfortable” relieves her.
Though many people do not participate or don’t feel comfortable in the pool, other people do and try to find the positive aspects of it. “Yes, we are lucky to have a pool. Many schools don’t have a pool, and students there may even envy us. We have access to many learning opportunities,” Pierre-Louis-Pierre concluded.
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