Serious matters: The Aries Club unveils plans for new center

The Aries Club is proud to unveil plans for its Carolina Faculty-Athlete Center for Excellence. Carolina faculty-athletes bring a championship mentality to all that they do — in training, in competition and in the classroom.

The Carolina Faculty-Athlete Center for Excellence will provide the facilities and support services necessary to continue that championship level of commitment and to enhance the entire faculty-athlete experience.

“Putting in a first-rate performance in the classroom requires that our faculty stay in peak physical condition,” observed Ritchie Reich, director of the Faculty-Athlete Strength and Conditioning Center.

“You’ve no idea how tough it is on the shoulders and the lower back to grade fifty essays at a clip or to sit at the computer for hours on end,” Reich said.

“We need to do everything possible to make sure that faculty remain in tip-top shape, or else they simply won’t be able to compete in today’s demanding academic environment.”

The future success of UNC’s academics is dependent upon meeting the needs of Tar Heel faculty-athletes both in and out of the classroom.

Felicia Hernandez, assistant professor of history, agreed. “Without regular access to yoga classes and a steam room, I would be so stressed out,” she explained.

“It’s hard to get through the week when you have to read 70 midterms, copy edit an article, make progress on your book and still be all smiles with colleagues who will be voting on your tenure in a few years’ time.”

The Carolina Faculty-Athlete Center for Excellence will prepare our faculty-athletes to compete for championships while at UNC and will provide them the training and experience to lead championship lives beyond Chapel Hill.

“This will be so great when I go to conferences,” said Beth Logan, professor of biology. “So many of my old friends from graduate school are seriously out of shape. They look lousy, frankly, and they just don’t have the stamina to give papers with energy and passion.”

At the center, Carolina faculty-athletes will also have the opportunity to compete against one another in various team sports, building collegiality as they improve their physical fitness.

“There’s virtually no place on campus where faculty can just hang out and let loose,” said Don Henderson, associate professor of anthropology, “and the few times that I do manage to catch up with friends in my department, it’s usually over a burger and a couple of beers at Linda’s — not very healthy.”

The idea of a space just for faculty-athletes is also appealing to Henderson. “Playing some pick-up basketball or a few innings of softball in a space devoted exclusively to faculty-athletes would be great,” he explained.

Faculty-athletes are also excited about the opportunity to showcase their athletic talents to students, alumni and the general public.

“I’m really pleased that UNC is finally recognizing our accomplishments outside the classroom,” says Natalie Zodova, assistant professor of chemistry.

“I was really good at gymnastics in high school, and I know my course evaluations will get a huge bump if my students get a chance to see what I can do on the uneven parallel bars.”

The creation of a public venue for athletic competition among the faculty will improve morale, foster a sense of intellectual community and, of course, improve the physical fitness of all.

Genevieve Fox, a lecturer in the French department, agreed.

“I may be tiny, but I can deadlift 240 pounds. Once our scheduling coordinator sees me in action, he’ll think twice about giving me another 8 a.m. class.”