MAC Madness

The Maverick Activities Center will be hosting the Pre-Exam Jam Thursday May 5 at 5:30 p.m in Room 135.

The Pre-Exam Jam is a group exercise class that will consist of a combination of kickboxing, latin fusion, yoga and more. It is free and open to all UTA students and MAC members.

Water and snacks will be provided and prizes will be given away at the end of the session.

A watch party was held at Maverick’s Bar and Grill in Arlington at 7 p.m. Friday to watch Campus Recreation Associate Director Chris Muller compete on CMT’s The Singing Bee.

Co-workers, friends and family all showed up to the event to support Muller. Maverick’s even offered a dollar beer special during the episode in honor of Muller’s TV debut. Gold stars with Muller’s photo and balloons were placed throughout the venue.

Muller ultimately placed 4th out of six with his final song being “Gotta Be Somebody” by Nickelback.

“Chris Muller, campus recreation associate director, will be appearing on Country Music Television’s kareoke show, The Singing Bee.

The Singing Bee makes contestants sing through the lyrics of a song and attempt to finish the song without any help. Muller’s episode will air at 7 p.m. Friday.

Muller said he got on the show by trying out at an audition in Dallas on Jan. 8. He got a call three weeks later from the production company, The Gurn Co., to be a contestant on the show in February. A watch party for the first airing will be held this Friday at Mavericks Bar and Grill in Arlington.

Muller said the experience on the show is something he will never forget.

“It was a great experience,” he said.

-The Shorthorn

With the announcement that UTA will no longer be offering exercise classes, students are starting to wonder what to do to get in that extra workout. Campus Recreation offers a solution.

We have always offered group exercise classes to members and will continue to do so. There is a low cost fee of only $30 per semester to be able to participate in all group ex classes, but the first week of each semester is free. These classes differ from exercise classes in that attendance is not mandatory and there is no grading procedure, therefore the class will not count towards a students GPA.

Campus Rec offers a wide variety of classes and hopes to add more during the fall semester to accommodate students. Below is a list of current classes and a brief description of each.

A.M. JOLT! – Skip the caffiene and jump start your day and your metabolism! This class will combine your favorite fitness formats into 50 minutes of dynamic strength, cardiovascular fitness and flexibility fun. Rise, shine and sweat while your friends are still sleeping!

BUSO BLAST – Take strength training to the next level with this total body workout using the BUSO balance trainer, a multidimensional training device that integrates core training, sports training and balance training. Come bounce and sweat in this fun new type of workout.

CARDIO DANCE CRAZE - Dance your way into fitness! Combining jass, funk, hip hop, Latin and more. You’ll be having so much fun, you wont want to stop.

CYCLE – Go for a spin! This ride is for everyone. Try this class of high intensity, low impact cardio training in your target heart rate zone. Towel and water required. Try Cycle I for 40 minutes, or Cycle II for an advanced 50 minute ride.

CYCLE & STRENGTH – This class is designed to get your heart pumping and your muscles working. Get the best of both worlds: a cycle class for cardio training and resistance training for the strength segment.

GROUP STRENGTH – A full body integrated resistance training class designed to improve functional strength, coordination and balance using free weights, barbells, CorePoles, BUSO trainers, stability balls and more.

JUMP AND CRUNCH – Burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time and have fun doing it! Jumping rope helps build speed, agility, balance and coordination, while improving your overall fitness level. All ages and fitness levels can give this class a try. Followed by abdominal and lower back training.

KICKBOXING – You’ll kick, punch and hit the calories away in this action-packed, super fun, safe and effective cardiovascular workout. This is a full-body workout incorporating true kickboxing skills and principals to getting fit.

LATIN FUSION – Get ready to shake it! With a mix of Latin and international music, this class is a dynamic, fun and effective workout. Come see what all the talk is about!

PILATES – The Pilates Method is a full-body conditioning program that develops deep abdominal and back strength, together with increased flexibility and ease of movement. This clss is aimed at “core stability”, designed to work on lengthening muscles to help tone and strengthen muscles using breathing to enhance relaxation. Try morning Pilates to start your day off right!

STEP – Get back to the basics. This class is an effective cardiovascular workout utilizing a step. It is designed to raise the heart rate with fun choreography and energetic music. You are sure to burn calories with this class.

STRETCH AND RELAX – An entire class focused on increasing flexibility, improving range of motion and overall relaxation. Get rid of all that tightness that builds up in your muscles from exercise. Stretch smarter; stretch healthier.

TRIPLE THREAT – Be bored no more. This cardio and strength training combo takes three different formats and combines them for one great workout. Each class includes three formats such as step, kickboxing, BOSU, floor aerobics, intervals, circuit, jump rope and CorePole. Class format changes everytime. Get out of that rut and get ready for Triple Threat!

ULTIMATE CONDITIONING – It’s time for the next level of training. Your muscular strength and endurance will be tested during the class as you combine strength training with cardiovascular movement. A total body workout that is challenging and feels like you’re training one-on-one with a personal trainer. Great for all levels of fitness!

WATER FITNESS - Exercise with a splash! This aerobics class is designed especially for those wanting to improve their health, mobility and body composition. This low intensity format uses water to increase flexibility, strength, endurance and cardio fitness without the impact of land aerobics.

YOGA – The Hatha yoga method is a great place to start since it teaches postures, conscious breathing and relaxation techniques for a full-body workout. Learning the basic points of alignment for each pose is the focus of this class.

The dedication ceremony of the Green at College Park took place today at 2:30pm with remarks from President James Spaniolo, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck and Councilwoman Kathryn Wilemon. Two-hundred Painted Lady and Monarch butterflies were released at the event. Refreshments, lawn games and entertainment immediately followed the ceremony.

“The Green at College Park is one more example of the strong partnerships UT Arlington has established with the City of Arlington and our neighbors,” Spaniolo said. “We invite our community to use this beautiful, sustainable space as a place to relax, unwind, and play.”

The Green is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of Mitchell and Center Streets and is the newest edition to Campus Recreation. Reservations for events can now be made through the department by contacting Associate Director Durl Rather.

The College Park District is part of the urban renewal program at the University of Texas at Arlington and The Green is the first of the three projects to be completed in the area.

“An urban oasis and green space for the University community and nearby neighborhoods, The Green is designed with sustainability in mind. The park features a large lawn, a curved stone wall that offers seating, paving materials made from recycled bottles that will allow water to permeate, native grasses, adaptive plants, and a dry creek bed that will help manage rainwater and storm water runoff.”

Assistant Director for Intramural Sports Drew Barfield (left), Assistant Director of Informal Recreation & Facilities Tom Woodman (center), and Intramural Supervisor David Robertson (right)

Entrance to the Dedication Ceremony

Last night the Maverick Activities Center held a watch party for the Cricket World Semi-Finals between Pakistan and India. The event began at 3am and lasted until 1pm this afternoon. Over 2oo students and non students attended the event. Many people had painted faces and wore their team colors. Chants could be heard all throughout the hallways and the atmosphere was nothing short of excitement and anticipation.

When the game was finally over, India came out victorious over Pakistan. From what I gathered it had been the first time in the past few years that India had won this rivalry. Emotions ranged from anger to sadness on the losing side, and great joy and disbelief on the winning side.

It is being said that another watch party will also be held overnight at the MAC for when India will compete against Sri Lanka on Friday for the World Championship.

Not very much occurred at the MAC during the spring break holiday. With the majority of students traveling out of town for the break, the number of patrons going into the MAC drastically decreases. Because of this, the number of hours the building is open has to cut back.

The facility was closed Saturday and Sunday, the weekend of the 12th and 13th, as well as the following Saturday, March 19th. For the rest of the week, the building was only open from 8a.m. to 10p.m.

The MAC was closed a total extra of 56 hours when compared to the hours normally open during the rest of the sememster.

This past Saturday the MAC hosted the Pi Kappa Alpha Waterpong Tournament to raise money for charity at 7:30pm in room 133.

Prizes for placing in the tournament were $20 for 3rd, $50 for 2nd and $100 for 1st place. The winners of the tournament were also allowed to chose which charity 50% of the total profit would go to. The event also included free Monster Energy Drinks, a DJ and tournament t-shirts were available for purchase.

Over thirty teams entered the tournament with first place going to Zechariah O’Rarden and Josh Christenson. Both Josh and Zech decided to donate the proceeds to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. They also won the award for best costume.

Not much has happened at the MAC this week in reference to events hosted. However, there has been something going on behind closed doors that the majority of students are not aware of.

Unfortunately, during the past few weeks there has been an excess of reports being filled stating that students Iphones are being stolen. Just last Friday alone I had to fill out three of these reports, and the total amount of reports filed is now reaching the double digits.

The majority of these thefts have occurred in the basketball gym where most students leave their phones and other belonging on the benches unattended. We are asking students to be cautious when leaving their belongings unattended and if possible to place them in a locker or simply leave their Iphones in their cars.

As a precaution, the MAC staff has asked the UT Arlington Police Department and Security to make more rounds during the peak hours at the MAC. Until we can catch whoever is responsible, we urge students to please keep a close eye on their Iphones.

The biggest event that occurred at the MAC this week was the Career Center’s Job Fair for all majors on campus which took place on Wednesday, February 23rd from 10am until 3pm.

A few days prior to the event, the career services department held a series of info sessions entitled “How to be Successful at at Job Fair” in the upstairs game lounge of the MAC. These info sessions included tables at which students could receive advice on how to improve their resumes and interview skills, as well as learn what to expect at job fairs.

Building staff members spent Tuesday night setting up for the event, laying down tarps and assembling a layout of roughly 200 tables. The four-court basketball gym was transformed into what was to be one of the largest university sponsored job fairs in the area. Over 2,500 students and alumni attend the event, as well as over 130 employers. Businesses that were present ranged from GameStop, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase to PepsiCo.