Signs encouraging students to “Take the stairs and become more fit” and burn calories rather than taking the elevators have recently been removed by the administration per the request of students.
Students first noticed the elevator signs in Bosler Hall which led to more investigations of other locations. The signs had calculations of how many calories a student could lose per day, per year and how many pounds they could lose after four years by choosing to use the stairs instead of elevators.
Prabhleen Kaur ’21 first noticed the signs in Bosler when she started taking classes on the third floor and used the elevator. “I began to feel guilty every time that I took the elevator,” Kaur said. She explained that taking the stairs caused uncomfortable physical symptoms including dizziness and loss of breath. “I started realizing that I shouldn’t put my body through pain or stress when there is an elevator I could use,” she said.
James van Kuilenburg ’22 also noticed the signs and discussed their presence on campus with Kaur. “These signs were effectively fat shaming as they promoted weight loss as a positive thing,” van Kuilenburg said. “It had a negative impact on campus to have a series of signs that glorified a dangerous narrative that feeds into eating disorders.”
Additionally, the signs were viewed as “shaming” towards students who may have physical disabilities or mobility impairment.
Now, this sign, merely SUGGESTS that students take the stairs. The fact that this elicited such an aggressive response is ridiculous. There are a lot of angles to unpack…
- Prabhleen Kaur is an individual that I would love to see in person, because I cannot imagine how out of shape someone could be to experience dizziness and loss of breath, just from walking up three flights of stairs!
- Her buddy Jimmy then upped the ante, jumping from fat-shaming to eating disorders, in one fell swoop.
- They offer a course in FAT STUDIES.
- The (high-sugar maraschino) cherry on top comes from the “VP of Campus Inclusion,” who stated the following, “We removed them because we do not support any signs that directly or indirectly shame a group of individuals.”
This statement is as soft as the stomachs of the kids complaining about the signs. Almost as funny as this entire situation is that Dickinson College was actually named the most physically fit school in America by Men’s Fitness back in 2006. Woof, times have changed.
What type of school just cowers in fear when faced with a couple of students who are upset? Well, Dickinson College is a self-described “highly selective liberal arts college in Carlisle, PA.” They are also the same school who’s student paper allows op/ed pieces such as this to be printed:
Yikessssss, I weep for these jamokes.