By Ryan Vasquez | Reporter
At the McLane Student Life Center, modest is hottest — quite literally.
The SLC has a no-tank-tops policy in the indoor gym. In order to attend, you must follow the campus policy, which demands guests “wear a full-length shirt with sleeves,” according to the Student Life website.
This year-round policy has students asking for a change. Some may argue that sweating through your sleeved shirt is a small price to pay — along with tuition, of course — to have access to the SLC. However, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, the average high temperature during the fall semester months is 79 degrees, with August and September often reaching into the 90s.
Baylor, as a private institution, has the right to regulate its own policies. But if students can wear tank tops to class when it’s 103 degrees and humid, shouldn’t they be allowed to do so while actively working out?
The university does not clearly explain the reasoning behind this policy on its Student Life website. One might assume it exists to align with Baylor’s Christian values. Still, students aren’t asking to go shirtless — though that is permitted at some private and public gyms. Allowing tank tops would simply provide more comfort.
If Baylor chooses to police gym attire, it has that authority. Still, tank tops — and, if modesty is a concern, styles that cover the chest and full torso — should be permitted for student comfort.
Wearing a tank top increases mobility for arm and shoulder workouts, as well as during running or walking, where arm movement is essential. As an avid runner who has to rely on treadmills during Texas’ extreme weather, I’ve found full T-shirts extremely uncomfortable to work out in, even on a cold day.
By regulating attire, the SLC may also unintentionally limit the amount of physical activity students can comfortably engage in. Gym clothing should match the intensity of the workout. Allowing the body to regulate temperature more effectively during long sessions can improve performance. Permitting tank tops would help achieve that.
Students who use the gym are college-aged adults who should feel comfortable in their clothing and in their own skin. If a student wants to wear a T-shirt because that is what they are most comfortable in, that should be OK, just as it should be acceptable for students to wear tank tops in order to enjoy their workout.
I hope students are paying more attention to their own workouts than to the shoulders of other gym attendees. In the end, most students are just trying to use the gym to take care of their own bodies and health.
