Gettin’ Fit

Although Northwest Academy is primarily a performance and arts-based school, the fitness class is very popular, touting a high enrollment.

Many students believe that fitness is integral to their experience at the school.

“Fitness is my favorite class this year,” Emerald Seale, a junior, said. “It’s just really fun in general. You can bond with your classmates, because you can overcome struggles together. I always just feel very good afterwards.”

Jordan Hawes, a freshman in the fitness class, believes that exercise is very important even for those who are much more focused on the arts.

“The kind of people that go to [Northwest Academy] may not be that physical of people,” Hawes said. “I think it’s still important that we get fit though. Getting exercise could help them not feel bad about themselves.”

Fitness is often a welcome break for many students from the stressful nature of the school.

“I think it’s really helpful for learning,” Seale said. “In this school, there’s a lot of work and stress. Physical activity can help with that. After a day in fitness, I might feel physically exhausted, but I’m actually much less stressed and can perform better in my other classes.”

Doug Cornett, the high school fitness teacher, tries to create a positive and supportive environment in his class, eliminating the competitiveness nature that is common in many sports.

“I believe that the most important thing in sports is to enjoy yourself,” Cornett said, “and to support your teammates and even your opponents. What do we want kids to learn from playing sports? To rage when you lose and gloat when you win? In my class, I try to create an environment where people can work together and feel encouraged, rather than try to defeat each other.”

The class started in 2012 to fill an open spot in the 8th grade schedule. After that, the high school and middle school classes were taught by Robbie Carver, before being taken over by Cornett again this year.

In the class, the average day consists of warm-up stretches, a quick half mile run outside and games or exercise in the Portland State University field. On rainy days, fitness students play games or workout inside.