The college experience is a special time and place for young students to not only develop their academic ambitions, but also for the discovery of self-identity and communal celebrations of people’s similarities as well as their differences.
There is no better place for this than at one of Tech’s 60 chartered student organizations dedicated to religion, race, sex, gender or ethnic identity. These organizations host hundreds of events throughout the school year and on a weekly basis to promote the spirit and acceptance of their respective communities as well as their personal experiences with themselves and the general student body.
This past Friday, pop songs blasted through the speakers at the leisure pool of the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) as students splashed in the cool water or lined up to receive bags, shirts, snacks and other goodies at the 3rd annual Every Body Pool Party. The event was part of an ongoing partnership between the Wellness Empowerment Center, Women’s Resource Center, LGBTQIA Resource Center and, for the first time, the CRC.
These departments worked together to encourage a culture where confidence, self-care and inclusivity are practiced and celebrated at the Institute every day. This event, in particular, focused on a healthy balance of exercise, fun and body positivity.
Carli Barbo is a dietitian in the Community Nutrition department at the Wellness Empowerment Center, one of the collaborating organizations of the event. She spoke to the Technique about the beginnings of the event from its inception three years ago.
“A couple of years ago, our department partnered with the Women’s Resource Center and the LGBTQIA Resource Center and we really wanted to create a safe, comfortable space for people to be active and use the pool, so we started it about three years [ago],” said Barbo.
While the body positivity movement has gained widespread attention and commercialization in the past years, at its core, it is simply about having compassion and accepting one’s whole self, both physical and mental.
This positivity is often easier said than done, however, during the college years where people’s bodies, environments and mental states are constantly changing and being challenged, it can be even more difficult.
“As a dietitian, we always recommend and talk about joyful movement, feeling comfortable, physical activity, all of that, so that was the goal: to create that space,” Barbo said.
Physical activity is often stereotyped as just another difficult chore, but in reality, there are so many different ways to increase and elevate your exercise routine into something more exciting.
“I think a lot of times when it comes to physical activity it sometimes feels like it has to be very regimented, so our goal is to kind of show that it can be fun. You can do it with your friends, you could be swimming, it can be playing with the rubber duckies out there, whatever feels comfortable. That all counts as movement too,” Barbo said.
The Technique also spoke to Tegra Myanna, the director of the LGBTQIA Resource Center, another one of the organizations that was part of the Every Body Pool Party. Her team, particularly William Britto, who is the assistant director, played a large part in helping to plan the event this year.
“The goal is to create a space where all bodies can feel welcome and supported and embraced and [do] leisure pool activities which isn’t always the case for a variety of folks as they experience in public schools or maybe competitive swimming. Each of us contributes to a sense of belonging. Community events, connection for students in different ways and kind of centering different experiences,” said Myanna.
The LGBTQIA Resource Center works not only to host large events such as this one throughout the school year but also more personal, day-to-day interactions with students of all different backgrounds and identities.
“The primary goal of our office is that students, regardless of what gender identity or sexuality they hold, feel like they have a simple place they feel affirmed and they feel that they can achieve success at Tech, in their academics and their lives. And our office helps facilitate programs, educational sessions, off-campus outings that help students build that connection, increase their resiliency, increase their connection to community through the centering of gender identity and sexuality,” Myanna said.
The Every Body Pool Party is just one event of many that demonstrates the support system and resources that Tech faculty and staff have available for the physical, mental and emotional needs of all students during the start of a new year at college.
For any Jackets interested in participating in upcoming events such like this one can check out studentcenter.gatech.edu/taxonomy/term/483 for details and RSVP links. Students may also visit the websites of any of the above organizations to reach out, learn more about their work on campus and register for special events.