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ENG 101
Anas Alsabri
May 16, 2016
The Gym Proposal
Dear Western Washington University Board members,

The gym is a place that was built from the donation of Frank and Mary King after a tragic
event of their sons, Wade King, death from a pipeline explosion. The family wanted to
build this rec center in the memory of their son, because it was Wade Kings wish to
always play in a field and exercise at a rec center at Western Washington University
(WWU Rec Center to Be Named after Boy Killed in Pipeline Blast). In a way, the gym
was build to create opportunities and hopes in other students. Ever since, WWU students
use the gym daily. The gym is meant to be an inclusive environment providing
opportunities for all students to take. It is a place that helps build relationships, goals, and
engage people to work out. Every university has a diverse student body, and this includes
international students. In the Fall of 2015, for example, Western Washington Universitys
student body consisted 24.8% of students from ethnic minority group (Student Diversity
Statistics). International students usually come to the United States to learn English.
They may come with little to no prior English knowledge, making it difficult to
communicate with other students. Many of them have left their families in hopes for a
better future beginning with their education. International students may face
homesickness the first few months here in the United States. There are English programs,
such as the Intensive English Program (IEP) for international students, to help these
students feel safe, yet they are excluded from the rest of the university students based
from the divided classes. International students hope to gain this sense of belongingness
by engaging in other activities outside from their academics. The first place that comes in
their mind is the rec center because it is on campus and it known for providing many
activities and sports to participate in. International students attend the gym with an open
mind, ready to learn, and to make new relationships. However, they encounter obstacles
and I have drawn the conclusion that the gyms environment is not international student
friendly.
Problem:
I would like to draw Western Washington University Boards attention to this
issue, because this is a current issue that it is taking place today. It is our responsibility as
the Board to assure that all students feel included and safe. International students have
chosen our university, WWU, as the university to support them and with their academic
needs and provide them with other resources to become or remain successful. According
to Relationship between academic performance, psychological well-being, and coping
strategies in medical students. article by Trucchia SM, Lucchese MS, Enders
JE, Fernndez AR , Student academic performance is associated with psychological
well-being, feeling of satisfaction with achievements, and coping with stressful
situations. The gym is a place that people attend to reduce stress through the practice of
working out. However, International students do not feel like the gym is an accepting
environment for them because there is no guidance for them to use the machines. As, an
international student myself, I have encountered difficulties understanding how to use the
equipment without any translated description or feeling shy to interrupt another student
from their workout to help me. Mohammed in his interview had similar experience as me

ENG 101
Anas Alsabri
May 16, 2016

and stated, I feel lost going to the gym. I dont know what to do and I wish I had
someone to show me and I end up leaving after 15min. This leads international students
to feeling confused and discouraged for not being able to successful use the machines that
the majority of the university students are able to use. International students attend the
gym in hopes to get a better understanding of a healthy workout and through these kinds
of interactions they can also practice using their English skills. The gym has become a
place for people based from a cultural or social location standpoint. As Lynn A. Staeheli
mentioned in her article, a place has become a place from a metaphorical standpoint
(cultural or social) gives people a sense of belongingness through the relationships that
they build in this place and this shapes their identities and personalities (Staeheli, P. 160).
For example, the gym is a place by building a workout culture. Usually individuals who
are self-driven and active attend the gym. Based from Mohammeds interview, the gym is
not a place that makes him feel that he belongs because he feels like the environment
doesnt help him to become successful to complete his workouts.
Causes /Effects:
Currently, international students feel as if they are on their own in a new
environment, and when they would seek for additional guidance, often times they would
ask for a trainer. Trainers however are not free. Trainers are actually quite expensive for
international students to use their services ($25/ hr). This is price is reasonable, however
it is unreasonable if this is the only option that international students have if they would
like additional guidance and attention. The communication factor and language barriers
would already take most of that time. Native students, on the other hand, are able to ask
for similar help from others in a short and timely manner. This interaction is usually free
and pleasant. Whereas, for international students it can be difficult to ask for help, and it
takes a longer time to explain, to understand and to have someone to aid them without
payment. This is why international students feel excluded and have a difficult time
receiving help. The paid trainers seem to be the only option for international students
receiving quality help. A question regarding how to use the equipment and further
assistance should be free given that students already pay a membership fee through their
additional tuition costs.
The gym currently does not provide workout classes that specifically help
international students practice their English skills and to workout at the same time. The
gym is a place that indirectly helps students with their academic success through the use
of working out. Areas such as the library provide additional resources to help students
feel directly supported in their academics. An example of this is with the tutoring center,
conversational partners, and research center. This kind of support comforts students and
gives them a sense of care and attention that they seek. The gym however, affects
international students to continue to feel shy and discouraged, because they do not
improve their English skills in an environment that is student based and that it is also
outside from the school.
Solutions:

ENG 101
Anas Alsabri
May 16, 2016

Given these costs and benefits to the current problem that the gym lacks a sense of
guidance for international students to feel welcomed and included, I have suggested the
following solutions.
Volunteer Student Help: The easiest way to resolve this current issue is to allow
the gym to have a set of volunteers to help guide international students throughout their
workout. These volunteers can be trainers in training, kinesiology majors who may need
additional volunteering hours and they are also familiar with healthy workout
performances, or conversational partners who already volunteer through the IEP program.
By having volunteers to assist international students to gain a better understanding of
how they can remain healthy and to guide them through their workouts, then international
students will feel more included in the gym environment knowing that there is an
individual willing to help. At the same time, these volunteers are free so the
international students feel more at ease to ask for help. This method also helps
international students to not feel bad taking these students time because the volunteers
are also benefiting from these interactions because they are fulfilling their volunteer
hours that their program requires them to complete. The volunteers will provide the
international students with the opportunity to practice their English skills and remain
motivated throughout their workout from the one-on-one time that they receive.
Interactive Workout: An interactive workout also helps take care of the issue that
there are currently no workout classes that include conversations for reflection and
improvement to take place. An interactive workout would consist a mixture of working
out and then the instructor would ask the students to form a circle and talk about ways
they can improve or remain motivated while working out. This is directly resolving the
issue of providing the guidance for international students to get a better understanding of
how to access and use the gyms machines and benefits. The instructor will connect with
the students after their workout lesson and ask them how do they will to improve. This
solution will give the attention that international students seek and feel more included in
the gym environment. Unlike most workout lessons, this lesson will leave room for
conversations to take place and to give a better understanding of why these kinds of
workout skills benefit the students (sense of purpose/ clarification).
Cost/ Benefits:
Afteranalyzingtheabovesolutions,IwouldliketomoveforwardwiththeBoard
toresolvetheinternationalinclusiveissuemakingthegymmoreinternationalstudent
friendlyandlessalienated.Wecanachievethisgoalbyconductingavolunteerprogram
inthegymthatallowsvolunteerstoassistinternationalstudentsthroughtheirworkout.
ThissolutionwillgohandinhandwithWesternsmissionstatementofhowWestern
shouldserveasamodelforinstitutionaleffectiveness,innovation,diversity,and
sustainability("Mission Statement and Strategic Plan). Westernisknownfor
promotingdiversity. Western says it wants to be inclusive and encourage diversity; they
can do this by responding to the international students needs, of feeling included and
guided in the gym environment. By following this solution, our university will seem
more attractive over other universities, and we will receive more applications from
international students who pay higher tuition rate than other native students. This action

ENG 101
Anas Alsabri
May 16, 2016

will also keep the current international students, who currently feel discouraged and
excluded in the gym environment, remain in our university.
We can intergrade the above solutions into one by having volunteers, who may be
a kinesiology major or trainer in training, to conduct the conversational/ motivational
workout classes. The benefit of this is that the instructor would be free, but the room time
may not. This means that the access of the room is lost revenue, however it can be made
up through the attendance of both the international students and other students who may
be interested in attending these classes. This lost revenue can also be resolved if the
current classroom workout instructor spends an additional 10 minutes of their time to
connect with international students and reflect on their performance. Overall, volunteers
are free, and the benefits exceed the costs. There is no need for additional instructors or
trainers. The volunteers will give the international students special attention of how to use
the machinery, practice their English and at the same time they are also doing good for
themselves by receiving a cultural experience, fulfilling their volunteer hours and
potential relationships to take place. This action will allow the international students to
feel more included and accepted in the gym environment.
Conclusion:
It is on our best interest as the Board, to proceed with this solution because the
cost of loosing the current or potential international students can hurt our reputation and
miss out on tuition payments that are worth more than other native students tuition
payments. This can be more damaging to our universities image and budget, rather than
taking this simple and free solution. By doing so, we are showing that we care about all
of our students and their needs, which could lead to better academic performances and
success overall.
Sincerely,

Anas Alsabri
Enclosure

ENG 101
Anas Alsabri
May 16, 2016
Work Cited

"Mission Statement and Strategic Plan." Western's Strategic Plan. 17 May 2016. Web. 22
May 2016.
Mohammed Alumutairi, Western Washington University Student (first year international
student)- Interview May 6, 2016
Staeheli, Lynn A. "11/ Place." Ed. Katharyne Mitchell and Gerard Toal. A Companion to
Political Geography. Ed. John Agnew. Malden: Blackwell, 2007. 158-163. Print.
"Student Diversity Statistics." Diversity: Diversity Statistics. N.p., 24 Dec. 2015. Web. 19
May 2016.
Trucchia SM, Lucchese MS, Enders JE, and Fernndez AR. "Relationship between
Academic Performance, Psychological Well-being, and Coping Strategies in
Medical Students." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National
Library of Medicine, 2013. Web. 19 May 2016.
"WWU Rec Center to Be Named after Boy Killed in Pipeline Blast." Tdn.com. N.p., 3
Oct. 2003. Web. 13 May 2016.