Enrollment at Cal Poly is like "The Hunger Games:" everyone for themselves, fighting for that last seat in the classes they need.
Preparation through PASS, Plan A Student Schedule, is both time consuming and exhausting; plugging in different classes and section numbers to find a schedule that works for you. But even this preparation isn’t enough for the twists and turns that the game makers throw at you when your number is up and your turn at enrollment rolls around. Classes fill up quickly and most students have a hard time completing their schedules with the 12 units needed to be a full-time student. And if you are one of these students struggling to create a full schedule, I have a solution for you: KINE 109, aka Bowling Class.
The bowling class has been open to all students since it originated in the 70’s. With 17 sections offering spots to 40 students per class, the bowling class is easily attainable while enrolling for classes. Each class is one hour long and is offered each hour Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. It is graded on a credit/no credit basis through class participation and attendance.
Bowling instructor, Steve Goldie, says there is much more to the class than just a bunch of kids bowling for an hour. “A lot of students bowl on Friday nights, but not many of them have ever bowled in a sanctioned, formal atmosphere so the class has morphed into showing them what that might look like,” said Goldie. Goldie teaches his students the basic, three-step approach to bowling, how to throw strikes and spares, how to keep score and overall bowling etiquette.
And, once the basics have been taught, the classes then begin competing in a class-versus-class tournament. Each class is divided into teams of four that bowl against each other. “They love that team atmosphere and they love getting together with their friends, and they come in every week and they bowl as a team and they enjoy that social aspect of the class,” said Goldie. The winner of each class’s tournament then goes on to play against the winners of the other sections. The tournament champions receive the prize of their very own bowling balls.
If learning to bowl or competing in a tournament doesn’t interest you, then sign up for the class for a fun and enjoyable break in your day. “You’re focused on all your other classes that are really important and you kind of get an hour break to come out here and relax and just bowl with your friends and take your mind off of whatever else is going on academically,” said Jonathon Chodzko, who enrolled in the class after realizing he needed one more unit to graduate this quarter. “For my one-quarter victory lap here at Cal Poly, I figured I’d take bowling one more time.”
So whether you want to learn some basic bowling techniques, enjoy a competitive social atmosphere or just need the extra unit, the bowling class would be a winning choice. While in "The Hunger Games" there is only one victor, every Cal Poly student wins with the bowling class.
