The Swift Games Club is striving to promote healthy living and fitness by organizing events to encourage the campus community to stay active during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The club’s mission is to encourage students who do not see themselves as physically active to engage in exhilarating and competitive outdoor activities, such as group exercise sessions and friendly sports games. They also educate their members on nutrition and the importance of exercising.
Despite the inability to host on-campus events this year, the club’s executive board is continuing to connect with its members through email and virtual events hosted on Instagram.
“We know that many students and other people in CPP are cooped up in their homes, but we want to encourage them to go outside, stay active and communicate with others during these hard times,” said Swift Games Club President Thailiya Thomas, a third-year urban planning student.
Scheduler Harmony Nguyen, a third-year psychology student, also shared the club’s plans to host virtual live tutorials in an effort to help students remain active in their homes and safely engage in outdoor activities.
The tutorials will include cooking sessions for nutritious meals while recommending healthy food establishments nearby campus. Through these events, the club hopes to emphasize the significant effects that dieting can have on the body both physically and mentally during current times when stress levels may be heightened due to the pandemic.
According to Thomas, many sports and recreational clubs at CPP recruit large amounts of members, causing students to feel disconnected from the group. The Swift Games Club, however, boosts its ability to create an inclusive space where students feel motivated to join the club of nearly 20 members.
Treasurer Sebastian Chinen, a third-year economics student, voiced that the tight-knit and inclusive environment of the Swift Games Club contributes to students’ willingness to participate in discussions and activities, separating the club from larger organizations.
“Many students feel discouraged to be involved in this kind of club because they feel that they are not in good enough shape to participate or that it will be difficult to adjust to exercising frequently,” Chinen said. “We want to make our club accessible and fun. It’s a good way to bring the CPP community together.”
Since the establishment of the club in January 2019, Nguyen said they have focused on outreach programs. However, these plans have been put to hold after the COVID-19 pandemic placed limitations on hosting on-campus events.
Last year, the club invited the campus community to its Kite Festival where participants designed kites, utilized various sports equipment and socialized with other members of the community. Held in the field across from the BRIC, Thomas added that the event attracted many students passing the area. Club officers also visited the university’s Children’s Center to invite student-parents and their children to engage in outdoor activities.
“This event was a great way to get people outdoors and stay active,” Nguyen said. “It was so satisfying to see all of the children from the Children’s Center enjoying themselves and taking part in a campus event.”
This year, the club is preparing to host the festival on Instagram with step-by-step instructions on how to create a kite. It will also open a contest where prizes will be awarded to individuals submitting the best videos of them flying their kites.
Anisa Krieg, a third-year geology student, recalled her memories of last year’s on-campus festival, describing it as a “good for the soul” event that allowed her to take a break from the stress of college.
“Swift Games is a feel-good, light club that gets you moving and helps you relax when managing school, work and other obligations,” Krieg said. “I can’t wait to see what they have in store for this year.”
For more information, email the club at swiftgamescpp@gmail.com.