Stop Watching Me! (Through the Weight Room Window)
By Bailee Kinney
In one of the most vulnerable spaces at Poland Regional High School, the masses want to know: What’s up with the giant window that allows outsiders to see what’s happening inside of the PRHS weight room? The fitness center is an extension of the gym where kids are encouraged during their physical education classes to exercise. With exercise being such a personal event we partake in, especially as a high school student, the large window raises some concern for the mental and emotional well being of our students as they work to better themselves – while "the public” on the other side of the window watches.
Interviewing Mr. Kramer, a gym teacher and track coach at the high school, I was able to get a teacher’s insight on why the window exists, and whether it affects a student's ability to work out to the best of their abilities.
Mr. Kramer says there are students who simply cannot put themselves in the situation of exercising in front of their peers anyway, and he doesn’t believe the window contributes to this fear. Despite this belief, even he didn’t understand why there would be a window in the first place. He believes the fitness center was an afterthought, and the intended use for the space was an office. In that case, it would make sense to need the window. In reality , some of us are stuck with something that doesn’t fit our needs for privacy and comfort.
While Mr. Kramer didn’t see a correlation between the window and students’ ability to perform, some students see things differently. In my interviews, I noticed a trend: nobody understands why there is a window, and it makes many of us uncomfortable to have outsiders looking in on them. I was able to sit down with Emma Davis, Leya Harvey and Morgan Chouinard, three juniors who have had their fair share of gym classes in their three years at PRHS. They were more than happy to let me know exactly what it felt like to have someone look at you from the outside – while you are already self-conscious about working out with students on the inside.
“It’s bad enough with random strangers in your gym class,” Morgan said.
When asked if the window made them uncomfortable, all three were quick to nod their heads.
“Yeah, I guess. I feel like people are judging me sometimes,” Leya said.
“People walking by are probably judging,” Morgan said.
Emma didn’t have quite as much to say about judgment, but more to say about distraction. “Sometimes it can be annoying,” said Emma. Although the three had different takes on how the outsiders looking in served as a distraction, there was a clear consensus that the window gets in the way of performing to the best of their ability during an 80-minute class.
When I reversed the question and asked these girls how they felt being on the outside looking in at other students in the weight room, the tone of our conversation lightened up a bit. The girls showed their sense of humor and a tinge of embarrassment. “I love doing that!” Morgan said.
I wasn’t a bit surprised by this response. As high school students, being a distraction to our peers hard at work is an amusing pastime, and we rarely take into account how our presence inhibits a friend’s ability to feel safe in such a vulnerable environment. While asking if they judge others when they are the outsider "peeking through the window, I saw the same expression from each girl.
“Kind of,” Mogan replied, while Emma and Leya nodded in agreement.
Almost on cue, Mr. Kramer walked into the room and into our conversation.
“Do you think that much about people watching you in the classroom writing a paper?” he asked us.
At first, I was at a loss for words. Is he blind to the culture his students are engulfed in? How could he be so blunt? But after further thought, I began to see his perspective. Writing a paper and lifting weights really aren’t that different. A classroom is equally as vulnerable as a gym, and both activities are strenuous, and push us to be better than we were before we started. The difference between the two activities may have more to do with the shift in our society to achieve this ideal body type … and do it behind the scenes. Academic and physical strength are worthy goals, and but they generate different types of societal expectations and insecurities.
As good teachers do, Mr. Kramer had asked a question that generated more questions – including, “How do we look at our peers who are trying to better themselves?”
Living in a culture that expects us to achieve such a perfect body image, it's possible we enjoy watching and contributing to the discomfort and struggle. But when we enter the classroom or office space, and watch our peers working to better themselves academically, we don’t look twice. We have found amusement in putting the bodies of our peers under the scope, but when it comes to our minds, and what truly makes us who we are, we couldn’t care less. Why is it such a taboo to watch our peers working to improve their bodies and physical health?
The weight room window has shown me so much more than what it means to look at someone exercising. or what it’s like to be on the other side of the window. The problem is not the window. The problem is our culture. We must work on how we assess social acceptance and self improvement.
By Bailee Kinney
In one of the most vulnerable spaces at Poland Regional High School, the masses want to know: What’s up with the giant window that allows outsiders to see what’s happening inside of the PRHS weight room? The fitness center is an extension of the gym where kids are encouraged during their physical education classes to exercise. With exercise being such a personal event we partake in, especially as a high school student, the large window raises some concern for the mental and emotional well being of our students as they work to better themselves – while "the public” on the other side of the window watches.
Interviewing Mr. Kramer, a gym teacher and track coach at the high school, I was able to get a teacher’s insight on why the window exists, and whether it affects a student's ability to work out to the best of their abilities.
Mr. Kramer says there are students who simply cannot put themselves in the situation of exercising in front of their peers anyway, and he doesn’t believe the window contributes to this fear. Despite this belief, even he didn’t understand why there would be a window in the first place. He believes the fitness center was an afterthought, and the intended use for the space was an office. In that case, it would make sense to need the window. In reality , some of us are stuck with something that doesn’t fit our needs for privacy and comfort.
While Mr. Kramer didn’t see a correlation between the window and students’ ability to perform, some students see things differently. In my interviews, I noticed a trend: nobody understands why there is a window, and it makes many of us uncomfortable to have outsiders looking in on them. I was able to sit down with Emma Davis, Leya Harvey and Morgan Chouinard, three juniors who have had their fair share of gym classes in their three years at PRHS. They were more than happy to let me know exactly what it felt like to have someone look at you from the outside – while you are already self-conscious about working out with students on the inside.
“It’s bad enough with random strangers in your gym class,” Morgan said.
When asked if the window made them uncomfortable, all three were quick to nod their heads.
“Yeah, I guess. I feel like people are judging me sometimes,” Leya said.
“People walking by are probably judging,” Morgan said.
Emma didn’t have quite as much to say about judgment, but more to say about distraction. “Sometimes it can be annoying,” said Emma. Although the three had different takes on how the outsiders looking in served as a distraction, there was a clear consensus that the window gets in the way of performing to the best of their ability during an 80-minute class.
When I reversed the question and asked these girls how they felt being on the outside looking in at other students in the weight room, the tone of our conversation lightened up a bit. The girls showed their sense of humor and a tinge of embarrassment. “I love doing that!” Morgan said.
I wasn’t a bit surprised by this response. As high school students, being a distraction to our peers hard at work is an amusing pastime, and we rarely take into account how our presence inhibits a friend’s ability to feel safe in such a vulnerable environment. While asking if they judge others when they are the outsider "peeking through the window, I saw the same expression from each girl.
“Kind of,” Mogan replied, while Emma and Leya nodded in agreement.
Almost on cue, Mr. Kramer walked into the room and into our conversation.
“Do you think that much about people watching you in the classroom writing a paper?” he asked us.
At first, I was at a loss for words. Is he blind to the culture his students are engulfed in? How could he be so blunt? But after further thought, I began to see his perspective. Writing a paper and lifting weights really aren’t that different. A classroom is equally as vulnerable as a gym, and both activities are strenuous, and push us to be better than we were before we started. The difference between the two activities may have more to do with the shift in our society to achieve this ideal body type … and do it behind the scenes. Academic and physical strength are worthy goals, and but they generate different types of societal expectations and insecurities.
As good teachers do, Mr. Kramer had asked a question that generated more questions – including, “How do we look at our peers who are trying to better themselves?”
Living in a culture that expects us to achieve such a perfect body image, it's possible we enjoy watching and contributing to the discomfort and struggle. But when we enter the classroom or office space, and watch our peers working to better themselves academically, we don’t look twice. We have found amusement in putting the bodies of our peers under the scope, but when it comes to our minds, and what truly makes us who we are, we couldn’t care less. Why is it such a taboo to watch our peers working to improve their bodies and physical health?
The weight room window has shown me so much more than what it means to look at someone exercising. or what it’s like to be on the other side of the window. The problem is not the window. The problem is our culture. We must work on how we assess social acceptance and self improvement.