PEB Courses

By Maggie Elliot







Always watched Robin Hood 
and figured you were a natural bowman?





 Or maybe felt like jumping into the sword duel in the Princess Bride?





Or perhaps you've seen the karate kid and wanted to apply your own wax on, wax off skills...






What if I told you there was a class for that?

When you go to college, those far-fetched dreams may seem to slip away. 
But they don’t have to.


“I decided to enroll in archery because in movies it looks  fluid and graceful.” said archer Milise Blanton. “I wanted to be able to do that.”

“You try to attack me? I’m going to flip you over. It’s so cool!” mentioned Morgan Howard, listing a reason which drove her to learn self defense. 

     PEB courses, named as such since most of them take place in the Physical Education Building, give students the opportunity to develop a new, non-academic skill. From sports to scuba classes, rock climbing, yoga, or even fly fishing, there is definitely a class for everyone.

     Milise Blanton, a sophomore Agribusiness major, took Archery last spring. “I loved it,” she noted, “It was incredibly satisfying to see yourself improve week after week. Archery takes an immense amount of concentration and focus, and it was exhilarating to move all your attention to hitting the target, instead of worrying about a paper or assignment.” The PEB course exposed Milise to a skill she can build upon for the rest of her life. “I asked for a bow for my Christmas present, and I will be able to get better and better with the foundations the course taught me.” What’s another class that sparks her interest? “Kickboxing. It looks like so much fun!”

     ASCL major Morgan Howard learned valuable skills from self-defense. “The instructor was amazing,” she remembers, “He has his own martial arts school, and was funny, relatable, and helpful.” Her favorite part of the class was pulling a 200 pound wrestler to the ground. The proficiencies she developed throughout the class give her confidence and a peace of mind, and as a summer lifeguard, she taught the rest of her group many of the moves she learned in the class. When asked if she would still remember the abilities, she exclaimed, “Oh yeah, here, grab my arm!” 
No, thank you.

     Both girls were nervous upon attending their first class, but soon realized almost everyone had no idea what they were doing. PEB courses have a relaxed atmosphere, with a focus primarily on self-improvement. “There are few places in your life where you will have the opportunity to have such a broad variety of instruction,” Milise said. “Take advantage these college experiences while you can!”

     As the time to register for classes’ approaches, consider a PEB  course. It's a great way to meet new people and make friends, and it just might inspire a lifelong hobby.

Take a look at the PEB courses offered in the fall of 2016:

Swimming
Ultimate Frisbee
Tennis 
Fencing
Wall Climbing
Golf
Fly Fishing
Ta Ji Sword
Ta Ji
Parkour
Wushu
Scuba
Basketball
Soccer
Table Tennis
Yoga
Zumba 
Pilates
Archery
Racquetball
Jogging
Self-Defense 
Karate
Volleyball
Where will your new skill take you?

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