REXBURG — If someone were to say, “I am part of the Human Performance and Recreation Department,” what would be the first thing that comes to mind? Exercise? Fun? Sweat? The Human Performance and Recreation Department may be all of those things, yes, but according to a faculty member, it is so much more.
“If you enjoy helping others with their health, their wellness, providing therapy for them or managing facilities that provide those services. Majors within our department would suit you well,” said Martin Dietze-Hermosa, a faculty member in the Human Performance and Recreation Department at BYU-Idaho.
There are so many societies and clubs that correspond and offer community to students within the HPR Department, Dietze-Hermosa said.
“There are a variety of societies, student run societies, that students can become a part of,” Dietze-Hermosa said. “For instance, there's the Pre-Physical/Occupational Therapy Society, where students that are interested in pursuing those careers get together. They explore, well, what are some prerequisites for graduate school.”
Other societies within the major include the Exercise Physiology Society and Therapeutic Recreation Management Society, among others.
Dietze-Hermosa says at times, getting into an exercise routine can be difficult, especially while going to school, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible.
“Certainly, any workout will depend on the person's goals, right? What are you wanting to accomplish with your time spent doing physical activity and exercise? But if you were wanting to, get started, the first thing I would say is find something that you enjoy,” Dietze-Hermosa said.
Regardless, if a person decides to become a student in the department, or not, Dietze-Hermosa knows this about every student on campus:
“I would say that students at BYU-Idaho, number one, that they know that they belong, and that as faculty, that we care about them, and that they feel that they can approach us as faculty,” Dietze-Hermosa said. “That we're wanting them to succeed not only inside the classroom, but outside. Not only academically and professionally, but in life in general. And that they stay close to the Lord. The Lord cares about you and that you have a divine potential. As you stay close to God, to the Lord, you will be directed, and to be able to grow and accomplish things, missions, goals that you thought were never possible.”
To find the clubs and societies mentioned here, or any others, visit www.byui.edu/academic-societies.