The Campus Activities Board has brought concerts, movies and the back-to-school bash to the Harding campus for students to enjoy, but this year they decided to do something a little different. They added classes for Zumba, a Latin-inspired dance fitness program.
“I thought it was time to branch out from just concerts and movies and the Burksy’s and just fun stuff and get into more overall well-being,” Corey McEntyre, CAB director, said.
Christa Smith, a senior, is one of the three class instructors. She said she heard about Zumba for the first time as a freshman and started attending classes in Searcy. About a year ago she decided to become a certified instructor so she could instruct her own classes.
Smith and a friend started their own casual class last fall for fun. Many students came just by word-of-mouth, and she said they all enjoyed it. So when McEntyre asked her if she wanted to instruct a class this fall, she was more than happy to say yes, she said.
“I knew a lot of the girls on campus really enjoyed Zumba, and I thought it was a really interactive and fun way to get people exercising,” McEntyre said.
The classes were announced in chapel, and within the next few days all 10 of the classes offered were full, with about 45 girls in each class. A waiting list has now been made because the response has been so positive. Female students can sign up for classes at the CAB booth in the student center or the CAB office.
Sophomore Erin McBride is one of the attendees. She said working out was not fun, but she fell in love with Zumba because it is not just a dance class but also an intense workout for her, so it is more interesting and fun than a regular workout.
“It’s the one workout I truly enjoy,” McBride said.
Smith said that she and others she talks to all say the same thing after taking Zumba classes: The classes make you feel good. Not only are they getting to have fun with friends and listening to music but they also are getting a good workout at the same time.
“What makes it fun is that you don’t even realize you’re working out; it’s more like you’re just getting together and dancing or ‘choreography,'” Smith said.
The classes are free for all women faculty and students. The class times are Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:30 a.m., 4 and 10 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 and 10 p.m. Each class is about 45 minutes long. They currently take place in the Recital Hall in the Reynolds Center.
