The results of freshmen’s physical check-up have come out and most of the 4791 tested students got a thumb up.

Overall, students did well in all tests, even though some failed tests on urine protein level, hepatitis, blood pressure and red blood cells count. Doctors from the Sanitation and Health Care Section, say that all in all even the “abnormalities” found fall under normal range, and some of chronic ailments detected among students can be treated simply by going to bed early, good physical exercises and having a healthy diet.

Another concern is the weight issue. Although the number of underweight dropped among male students this year, there were still 511 female students, a number similar to that of last year, were considered underweight at the time of the check-up.

These results have been passed on to students through their class speakers. For further questions, contact Room M111 at the basement of the Maritime Museum.

The good news is, in countering health risks, the Office of the Physical Education has made swimming compulsory to freshmen. They should demonstrate their stamina in 25 meters swimming. Unfortunately, TKU students have not been known for their physical stamina. Among all college students in Taiwan, our students only managed to have an above average performance on the “one minute sit-ups” category. However, this is about to change. With the “2006, Year of Physical Education”, university has launched several activities to promote fitness. Swimming is one of them.

The swimming training the university has in mind focuses on the basic, i.e., swimming whatever way you can, but you must complete 25 meters lapse. The test on freshmen in fact has been done, and the results are “acceptable”, according Ms. Hsiao Shu-fen, the section chief of the Physical Education Instruction Section. She says that roughly 35 out of 50 students passed the test and male students did slightly better than female ones. Final analysis will be done soon so detailed results will be made public next semester.

Ms Hsiao’s office also organized a “swimming for beginners” week starting this week for those students and faculty members who did not past the test. The aim of these classes is to learn how to relax in water without fearing it. Ms. Hsiao says that there are simply no excuses not being able to swim considering Taiwan is an island surrounded by water. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )