Pop music blasting from the speakers, disco lights dancing overhead and “Pink Power Hour” written in bold pink letters across the Beauchamp mirrors.
On Oct. 2, the typical “gym bro” energy was replaced with a distinctly different atmosphere when Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center hosted its very first “Pink Power Hour,” an event that shut down the weight room for two hours to create an inclusive space for non-male-identifying students.
As a retired athlete, Fitness and Wellness Operations Program Manager Kiera McCarrell saw a need for women-only hours at the gym. While McCarrell was fortunate to have a guided program and inclusive weight room as a student-athlete, she acknowledges that’s not a guarantee for all college students which inspired her to create the event.
“I was like, ‘OK, how can I make sure that other women also feel like they belong in this space?’” McCarrell said, “I definitely wanted women to be able to feel extremely welcomed at the Beauchamp gym and know the resources that we have available.”
During the event, Beauchamp staff were positioned at the entrance of the weight room instead of their normal position behind the desk, ready to assist students with any questions they had.
According to McCarrell, asking the staff questions such as how to set up the machines are important steps for overcoming the “gymtimidation” so many college students experience. Students often don’t realize you can ask the front desk how to do a specific lift or even how to spot others.
For Beauchamp student worker Tianna Huss, the creation of a non-male-identifying space is important to ensure that all students feel safe in a typically male-dominated environment.
“It'll also hopefully [help] people who were scared to come into the gym, because it's always filled with gym bros, get to know the machines a little better,” Huss said. “Maybe [so people] feel more comfortable coming in on their own and not being scared of not knowing what to do when it's normal gym time.”
First-year student Harper Lawrence doesn’t frequently visit the gym but has been wanting to go more often. According to Lawrence, “Pink Power Hour” felt like an opportunity to do so.
“I think just being in an environment where other people are not judging you, and [not feeling] like I'm being looked at, there's definitely a level of comfortability with exploring different machines and new exercises and not having to feel like I look really dumb,” Lawrence said.
For sophomore Maddie Matson, not only did she feel the event created a safe space for students who aren't familiar with the machines, but the environment also helped her achieve a new goal despite going to the gym weekly.
“I'm attempting a new PR because I know it will be a low-stakes environment,” Matson said. “I come to the gym already quite a bit and I love that they’re doing something like this.”
According to McCarrell, Beauchamp will be hosting “Pink Power Hour” again on Oct. 23, Nov. 6 and Dec. 4.
“There’s a majority of female students at UP and we want to make sure they all feel like they can take advantage of everything Beauchamp has to offer,” McCarrell said.
Taylor Helle is a News Reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at helle25@up.edu.
Netty Jurriaans is the Community Engagement Editor for The Beacon. She can be reached at jurriaan25@up.edu.
