here's a controversy for you all

GreenTeaDisease

JaneNY wrote:

I can see it both ways, but why not everyone just be a little flexible to meet someone's need? Its not that many hours. College students aren't known for loving the 8am hour anyway, and even if they do, they have 5 other days in the week to go in at that time.

I just see it as a slippery slope. you're never going to make everyone happy. if you start going out of your way to accommodate one small group, then where do you draw the line? especially when it comes to a gym, everyone has peeves about the gym where a change would make them personally more comfortable. hell, when I was in grad school, I would have loved it if they made "no undergrad" gym hours, but that would have been considered unreasonable.

also I just want add...college is pretty much all about communal living. I wasn't too thrilled about showing up on campus and having to share a bathroom with 20 guys, but that's the way it goes, I chose to go to that college. If it's THAT important to you, go to an all women's college or find one with a women's gym or something.

Pacomc79

as it dosen't affect me in the least, I don't really give a crap.

But it seems like the super devout religious people that care should think about rounding up some money to have a women only gym built somewhere on campus that grants special accomodations and or caters to the various religous workout needs.

It's a little ridiculous to try and be all things to all people. At some point if you're going to be super devout in whatever sect you happen to be a part of... you really need to move off campus and work out in your home where you can control everything. Any "public" or common facility needs to be structured around meeting the needs of the most amount of people who want to or have paid to use it or the people who cause use denial should pay the school money to refund to the people who are denied service.

Kel Varnsen

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

why would you need to close a gym to make it wheelchair accessible? I see people working out in wheelchairs with everyone else.

If you needed to do major renovations to make it accessible then you would probably need to close it down during construction. You can't really have people working out in a construction site. I know my gym the main entrance is a super steep flight of stairs, if they did want to convert that, not to mention the stairwell to the changerooms, you would probably have to shut the whole place down. Shuting down for a couple of months for construction would be a similar inconvenience to shutting down for a couple hours each day.

blackredyellow

As a private school, I don't really have a problem with it.

I'm not crazy about a school bowing down to six students though.

GreenTeaDisease

Kel Varnsen wrote:

If you needed to do major renovations to make it accessible then you would probably need to close it down during construction. You can't really have people working out in a construction site. I know my gym the main entrance is a super steep flight of stairs, if they did want to convert that, not to mention the stairwell to the changerooms, you would probably have to shut the whole place down.

oh well that's like a totally different issue then. most building codes these days require accessibility. plus if you're talking about private businesses, you can't really control what they do- havard is a private business yes, but the students have more sway than average customers who could easily just opt for the gym down the street. there's an elevator at my gym, and I think pretty much all the other ones I've been to. there's even a ramp over a slight raise up to the classroom.

GreenTeaDisease

Pacomc79 wrote:

It's a little ridiculous to try and be all things to all people. At some point if you're going to be super devout in whatever sect you happen to be a part of... you really need to move off campus and work out in your home where you can control everything. Any "public" or common facility needs to be structured around meeting the needs of the most amount of people who want to or have paid to use it or the people who cause use denial should pay the school money to refund to the people who are denied service.

exactly. I went to a really small college where almost everyone lived on campus and ate in one dining hall. they tried to accommodate as many people as possible with the food choices and did a very good job, however, they allowed who still could not be accommodated to apply to live off campus and off the food plan so they could make their own food (in fact people who just wanted to live off campus often abused this and said they had some weird food allergy or something to get permission!)

Kel Varnsen

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

oh well that's like a totally different issue then. most building codes these days require accessibility. plus if you're talking about private businesses, you can't really control what they do- havard is a private business yes, but the students have more sway than average customers who could easily just opt for the gym down the street. there's an elevator at my gym, and I think pretty much all the other ones I've been to. there's even a ramp over a slight raise up to the classroom.

I know it is somewhat different, but a lot of the comments of people against this plan is that why should a large group of people be inconvenienced to accomodate a much smaller one. That is why I asked how people would feel if they had to go to a different gym because the one they went to had to be closed down to make it accessible after 6 people (or even 1 person) complained.

Personally I don't really have a problem with what Harvard is doing, since it is not like they are closing down the gym during these for everyone except the 6 women who complained, they are just making it women only.

dontloseyourheat

We should start closing down beaches so fat people can feel more comfortable.

GreenTeaDisease

dontloseyourheat wrote:

We should start closing down beaches so fat people can feel more comfortable.

and gyms!

Medicated-Genius

MakingWaves wrote:

I like to think of it this way. Imagine some American students in a Muslim country requesting that the gym be closed 6 hours a week for them to work out.
People on here would be bashing them and saying they are being typical arrogant Americans.
I agree with what Roland said, you shouldn't go into other peoples countries and try to impose your beliefs.

Nowhere in the article does it state that these women are immigrants. Just a reminder, being Muslim indicates the religious philosophy you adhere to, not your nationality. As someone else pointed out, who says these women are not American?

RolandTD20Kdrummer

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

well, there's nothing that says those muslim girls aren't american.

personally, I think the girls 1) better be spending every one of those 6 hours in the gym and 2) should fork over the extra cash to go to the all women's private gym at the next T stop if it's that important to them.

They could be from mars, they are imposing a traditional middle eastern custom in a non middle eastern country.

I'd tell them to make alternate arrangements, as these are the rules of the gym. If you want to use it feel free, if it does not work suit you, then feel free to find a gym that better suits your chosen belief system....such as a womens gym.

Some are already insisting the Sharia law be incorporated into the legal system in the UK. I think it's pretty arrogant...

RolandTD20Kdrummer

jeffbr wrote:

6 people. Six people out of the whole student population can't assimilate, so everyone else has to accomodate them. If they could afford Harvard, they could probably afford a membership to Curves where men aren't allowed.

Exactly. Personally I think it's bullshit, and making another gym for them is definitely going too far.

Same as I wouldn't go to another country and demand they change their rules to suit my customs. I would adapt.

It's ridiculous.

bad foreign policy.

gabers

Bad idea. You're just helping create animosity by accomodating these women. I agree with several of the earlier posts. If these women don't feel comfortable working out with men, then find a gym that's only for women, as there are several. This is just another example of PC going too far.