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Show A10 Signpost Wednesday, June 2, 1983 ROTC ESS? Club takes off pounds the hard way The sun has not yet completely lifted its head and the birds have just begun to chirp their announcement of a new day. The time is o-dark-thirty (6:30 a.m.), and students in Wasatch, Stansbury, and Promontory Towers who are trying to grab the last thirty winks are distrubed by the robust sound of"One-two-three-FOUR, P.T. P.T.-Give Me Some More," or the jodies about Airborne Rangers taking little trips and GI coffee and GI beans. No, doomsday has not arrived; rather, it is a group of Weber State College students who are enrolled in Military Science 283, a physical training course, which is designed to prepare ROTC cadets for the physical aspects of their summer training. , According to Lieutenant Colonel Dennis A. DeFrain, the Military Science Department Chairman, "The Army has been forerunners in the rebirth of physical fitness craze which is so widespread today. One of the current Army slogans is "Fit to Fight." In fact, the Army has recently tightened it's physical fitness standards, which include an annual physical fitness test consisting of 40-68 pushups in two minutes, 40-69 situps in two minutes, and a two mile run in between 13:05 to 17:56 minutes. Additionally, there is a height and weight chart that is applied to all military personnel. However, there is a body fat content provision for the individual with a spark plug build, allowing for up to 22 percent body fat regardless of height and weight." Continuing, LTC DeFrain said, "The physical fitness course serves three functions. First, it acquaints students with physical training the Army way. The daily dozen is really aerobic exercise and is usually supplemented by a three to five mile run. Second, it helps to prepare students physically for the forthcoming summer camps in which their final grade will consist of approximately 15 percent physical fitness. Third, it gives the faculty the opportunity to observe students in leadership roles, as the actual daily training sessions are conducted by students and part of their final grade is based on their final leadership abilities." A special group of students receives special training by Captain Bailey, the enrollment officer. In adding to what LTC DeFrain said about the purpose of the training, Captain Bailey added, "I guess there is really a fourth reason, which is to focus on a particular physical weakness of selected students. This is the group I lead; it is affectionately called the FAT group, having two meanings, Fighting Atipose Tissue and Fitness And Training. Students in this group are either overweight or have a particular problem on one of the physical fitness events. There are currently fifteen ROTC students in this group, along with one professor and two non-ROTC students. This group meets five days a week from 6:30 until 7:30, instead of the normal three days (Mon., Wed., Fri.) each week. At the start of the quarter, the group averaged approximately 25 pounds overweight per individual and there were only a couple of students who could pass the physical fitness test. Each student established personal goals and were required to enroll in Dr. Bud Belnap's Fitness for Life class." Concerning the success of the program thus far, Captain Bailey said, "I am enthusiastically satisfied, the group has lost on the average, twelve pounds per person. On a recent physical fitness test, all but one student met the minimum physical standards. It has been difficult to establish a training program for a group that would concentrate on the various weakness of individuals, therefore we have a well rounded program. Usually we start with 15 minutes of the Army conditioning drills, followed by 15 minutes of non-stop universal weight training and concluding with an LSD trip, not the drug type, rather Long-Slow Distance. In fact, last Friday, the group took a run from the campus to my house in Layton, where we ate a low calorie steak and egg breakfast. Commenting concerning the FAT Group, Steven Smith, a graduating senior said, "It's great! Sure it's hard to get up in the morning, and -Captain Bailey really pushes us to our limits, but I am pleased with the results. I am one of those individuals who won't exercise without others to push me, and as the Captain says, "I turn into a Human Hoover at the refrigerator each night." Harold "BC" Brown, a junior said, "I was not overweight, rather my problem was completing the two mile run in the required time. I just didn't know how to run. I would always complete the first mile in about 7:45 minutes and then die on the second mile. I didn't know how to pace myself. I would have never believed at the start of the quarter that I'd ever be able to run all the way to Layton." Gary Blanken, who is the group's string bean, at 160 pounds said, "I was having problems with doing the required pushups and situps, the weight training has really helped and I now feel ready for summer camp." Editor: Donna Layton Bret Timothy, commenting about the FAT group said, "I like the positive attitude which is used and referred to in the Army as 'esprit-de-corps.' When we go on our LSD trips, we do interval running. We run in one long column, ' with the front man carrying a flag that has WSC FAT group written on it. The last man in the column has to sprint to the front of the group; however, before he does, he sounds off with what his initials means, and the group echos it back. My initials mean Bacon-Lettuce-and-Tomato, heavy on the bacon! Some of the others are BC Brown Building Championship Bodies; Anthony L. Lobb,Al!-Lumps-of-Lard; Mike Parrish, Mounds of Pizza; and Dennis O. Dorrity, Dirty Obese and Dumpie. This version of jodies takes your mind off the pain of running; also the sprinting helps us work on our speed." 1 III W' jam , mpc.Ts( UWM5 'o FEDEftil SWINGS f, un.w vr cu b: I ' - r t - - - . v' It 1 ' .1 'A KM Li,,- |