Some women say they may want to avoid prying eyes while they're pumping iron at their university's gym.
In recent weeks, several news organizations have ran stories after discovering Harvard University joined a list of several colleges across the country when they began offering women-only gym hours at the start of the semester.
Several of the schools' women-only gym hours were made to satisfy the women's religious desires. A group of Muslim women from Harvard, Orthodox Jews from Queens College and Christians from Wheaton College successfully lobbied their schools to implement women-only hours. Kalamazoo College offers women-only gym for an hour and half Tuesday evening and early Sunday morning to make their women feel more comfortable.
"The religious rights brought this issue to the forefront," said Jan Deeds, director of the women's center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "But many other women could also relate."
Deeds said no one has asked her about trying to get a similar policy implemented here, but she understands why a women-only workout policy could make female students feel more comfortable.
"It's male dominated," Deeds said of a typical workout facility. "You're pretty exposed, and it can be a vulnerable time... for a larger woman, even more so."
Daniela Bravo and Stephani Ruiz are two UNL students who were flummoxed when asked their opinions on women-only gym hours.
"Well, I wouldn't like it because I want to be able to work out whenever I want," said Ruiz, a sophomore broadcast major. "And if you offer women-only hours, you have to have men-only hours too, right?"
Not necessarily. The schools that offer women-only gym don't have men-only hours.
"Oh, wow," Ruiz said. "Then I might use it. It depends."
"Especially if you are trying to lose weight," Bravo, a junior political science major, said. "I'd be more comfortable around women only."
However, both women mentioned they have gone to the Recreation Center with groups that included both genders. And the two women say they relied on their male friends to teach them some of the lifts.
Stan Campbell, director of operations of the Campus Rec Center, said he has heard of colleges offering women-only gym hours, but he thought bringing that policy to a large public school like UNL would be harder than at a smaller private school.
Campbell said the majority of fitness classes have higher participation rates among females, and the Recreation Center has worked with University Police and offered women self-defense classes.
"We just don't want to limit opportunities for anyone," he said.
RYANBOETEL@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
