By: Alex Estes [Feature Editor]

30 years ago, P.E. was a class that was attended by students so they could exercise and be healthy. Students looked forward to playing simple games of dodge ball and wiffle ball, and, just like today, dreaded running the infamous mile. Back then, exercising was fun, and all that was done in P.E. was just that: exercise.

Surely all students are aware of what happens in P.E. class today. Students are discouraged to exercise and run around during gym class because of the confusing, ridiculous games. Nitro Ball? Aussie Ball? Hocker Ball? Maybe these games are the reason why the obesity rates in children are higher than they were when mom and dad were in school. These complex games cause students to lose interest because of all the complex rules. Going back to the basics would be ideal for high schoolers. Simple games would cause kids to stay more involved and active in the games.

Another relatively new thing in gym class is homework. Actual paper assignments that are supposed to be turned into the teacher for points. When parents see that their kids have a “B” in gym class they are outraged. “How does someone get an 80% in gym,” they think to themselves. They turn to their children and ask how this could be and their answer is always the same. “Gym isn’t what it used to be, Mom.” It’s true that gym isn’t the same though. These written assignments are normally about diseases and conditions that are prone to people who don’t exercise. Why do these assignments have to be issued in P.E. though? Isn’t that what health is for? When students are at the end of the school day and are packing up their things to do their homework at home, they normally don’t think, “Do I have any gym homework?” Also, now there are tests in gym class that take up an entire day of P.E. This may contribute to kids being overweight now. P.E. is all homework and tests, and not playing sports and running. All kids want the teachers to get rid of the paper. That’s not what P.E. is for, P.E. is for exercise.

At the rate schools are going, gym class may be off the regiment in the future, and for some kids it already is. Gym class used to be fun, but now it’s just a big wad of paper assignments and tests that students need to learn to be able to get a passing grade.