“What goes on in the pool, stays in the pool!” 

Those words echoed throughout the indoor aquatics center as members of the aqua aerobics class laughed and agreed. In the depths of the Seward County Community College aqua aerobics pool, lies a golden community of people. Although it may seem like just an ordinary class, what really makes a big difference is the people involved in it.

The aqua aerobics instructor Terri Barnes has been teaching the class every Tuesday and Thursday at 1 p.m. for approximately three years. Normally, this class is something a lot overlook when thinking about what classes are available. Barnes said this class is an elective and a way to pass time for some students. In reality, though, it has become more than that to others who partake in this activity. 

“The main reason I took over teaching this class was because I wanted to find a way to continue being in the pool while also working out. A lot of people think it’s just swimming but it is more than that! We work out with weights, use flipper boards to learn balance, and we have started doing interval workouts where we do segments of 30 seconds with different exercise movements,” said Barnes. 

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It has become one of my biggest forms of stress relief.

— Maria Franco

Besides just using this class as a time to work out, a lot of the students also find it as a time to hang out. The students in the class mentioned that in the past they have all had get-togethers after class where they have been able to interact and eat yummy treats.

A lot of the students that currently take aqua aerobics usually do it to continue moving. 

Barnes said, “We’ve had a lot of older students with hip replacements, knee replacements, all different types of stuff in general really, so doing a type of exercise like this is really benefiting for us.”

One of the positive aspects of this class is that it is very flexible. Most of the time it is a class where everyone can decide when to come depending on their schedules and different activities that go on throughout the day. A lot of students agreed with this statement and added that this class is very convenient for them because it is an easy A with a lot of great social interaction with different people.

Maria Franco’s, a current student from Liberal majoring in Nursing, favorite part of the class is getting acquainted with other students. 

“I take a lot of other classes, and this is actually my last one of the day. It has become one of my biggest forms of stress relief while also getting in my daily exercise,” said Franco.

Instructor Barnes also talked about how a lot of the time, there are a lot of people from different towns. They all meet twice a week and enjoy working out while also talking about the news and other trending topics.

“We all come together from surrounding towns. We have had people from here in Liberal, Kismet, Sublette, Turpin, and Hugoton,” said Barnes.

Carol Dearing from Liberal said, “I’ve taken this class for many years. I enjoy it because it’s a time to get together. We visit, laugh, and exercise using weights and other stuff. As individuals, you get to go at your own pace and Barnes does a great job teaching!”

Virginia McNitt another Liberal native looks forward to this class every week. 

McNitt said, “The people in the class are always fun to be around. It’s a nice time and it also is a great way to have a reason to get out of the house instead of sitting around all day. It is wonderful therapy both physically and mentally.”

As the class continued to work out and have a great time together, it was easy to realize that this is more than a class. SCCC has such a diverse range of students and is a friendly place for anyone. If any students are looking for an elective or are just wanting to expand their horizons, this close-knit community of students is a great opportunity. Not only is it to work out but it will allow individuals to get to know other amazing people.