Rant

Today has been a very long day...

My flashback/rant of the day was provoked from seeing a group of high schoolers this morning at around 8 am outside playing basketball for gym class. I know the goal of gym is to teach kids about being healthy and living healthy blah, blah, blah, but the question is: Is gym actually necessary for students? My answer: absolutely not. Back in my day, which wasn't that long ago, gym was only required for one year in high school. So really, if something is only for a year out of your whole education there, is it really necessary...no! Not only is gym class a waste of time, tax dollars and value of education, but it raises many other "social" problems as well.

I don't know if anyone else was as unfortunate as myself, but freshman year of high school when I took gym class I was scheduled to have it first hour. Granted, I took an early bird so it was my second class of the day but what's the point of getting up and ready to go to school if you're immediately thrown into gym clothes and told to break a sweat or fail. I mean its not like you have enough time after gym to shower, get ready and make yourself look half way presentable in the normal 15 minutes you had to change. This raises other awkward situations like personal hygiene...which lets just say, some people really shouldn't have had gym...that probably ruined their chances of ever smelling good in high school and not having kids make fun of them. Also, do schools not realize that high school is the most judgemental time of your life? I mean memories can make or break you there...if anything, at least think of young ladies hair, for their sake!

The last thing about gym that really irks me is of course the grading system. Are you really going to fail someone if they can't do five push-ups in a row compared to the freak kid with a bizillion muscles that can do 50? I mean if there is anything that can break your self esteem its first of all being humiliated by being in gym for the first part, then being compared to all these kids on athletic ability and lastely having the chance of looking like crap when the hour is done. Lets face it...some people aren't athletic should they really suffer? However, I guess if gym wasn't around countless movie plot lines and tv shows would suffer without tales from dodge ball gone wrong and locker room peeping.

All I have to say is I really felt bad for the poor kids today. Who knows, some of them probably like gym...there are always those that do, but for the rest of you out there that thought it was a waste, such as myself, I pity you.