Dylon Koran
Tesha Christensen
Solution Open Gym
High School sports can cost hundreds of dollars for around 3 to four months of activeness. Imagine being able to play theses sports and join these clubs at no cost. At Anoka Ramsey Community College they are free to join. The most popular activity is held every day in the gymnasium from 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM. Open gym allows students of all classes and skill levels to join in on a friendly recreational game. This wouldn’t be the case without volunteer work, and most people don’t realize that.
Karon Nix makes sure peoples feet are running on the gym floor during the open gym time. Nix was a former wrestler and student of Coon Rapids High School, and even placed in second place in the state tournament his junior year. “The experience of athleticism in high school gave me opportunities that otherwise would not have been given,” stated Nix. Everyone knows why athleticism is so important, including Nix, who says just thirty minutes of being active every other day will keep you walking strong thirty years from now. Nix makes this possible without the cost of a gym membership.
Volunteering hours to help people be active and have fun doing it at the same time Nix shows no sign of demotivation of no pay. “I am able to walk in and supervise the gym, while at the same time being able to join a game and stay active myself,” Nix said. Nix has built a relationship with a few of the ARCC students, and knows them by name. “There are faces that come in to the gym that I see every day, and I even once bought a new football for two students I seen every week taking advantage of the open gym hours. The gym isn’t always so busy, sometimes even Nix himself will not be found.
Spring semester comes along at ARCC and the snow is melting down as the river rises, but that’s not the only change. “You start seeing more shorts and t-shirts. The balls, cleats, gloves, and bats are all starting to be brought outside,” said Nix. This is not where Nix gives up though, for he also joins outside in the group activities. “If it weren’t for Ron,” said student Seth Fiester, “My friend and I wouldn’t be playing football, most likely we would be sitting on the grass smoking a cigarette.” Nix, even though rarely recognized for his appreciation, reaches out and touches a lot of students letting out there athleticism.
Almost every week on the news a person will see something related to obesity. They have all these food solutions and diets when the most effective solution is to work out. It is proven that half an hour of exercise can treat patients even with depression according to Nix. “I have spent much time studying about human anatomy and psychology,” said Nix.
Nix, even though volunteering, can still manage to complete his classes. Nix said that, “It can take quite a bit out of a person doing that much work, but it is feeling knowing I am bringing people together to be active that feeds my soul to do good at school.” The most surprising thing about Nix is he is a PSEO student. Being able to accomplish such large tasks so young creates a gigantic advantage for Nix.
When Nix graduates he will have a few credits to start with which cost him nothing, and will attend ARCC in the following fall semester. “Since ARCC does not have a wrestling program I will try and continue volunteering for open gymnasium,” stated Nix. The hard working student is paid off at the end of the hour with a couple goodbyes from friends, and the locking of the gym door.
When open gym is done, Nix’s day has a few more tasks than most. “I am responsible for retrieving the balls and making sure the gymnasium is closed exactly at 3:00 PM,” Nix proudly explained. Nix then heads to the computer lab to take on the homework of the day. Roughly two hours for every class is the estimated time to finish the homework for that session. “I will tend to be at school until around 6:30 PM, and then it’s off to Subway for dinner,” Nix exclaimed!
The next time any of the students of ARCC have a spare half hour take the time to go visit Nix and friends at the gymnasium. Show your appreciation to volunteers around the school like Nix, because they make it possible to stay active without an activity fee. Spring is rounding the corner, so grab a football, baseball, or even strap on the rollerblades and roll by to say hello to Nix. Stay active ARCC.
