The UREC at Edinburg is now more proactive in enforcing its dress code policies to create a healthier environment for users.
University Recreation Director Kimberly Rottet said she wanted to clarify the dress code for the staff at the UREC and for the student body.
“The language [for the dress code] used to be ‘appropriate attire is required for each area,’ Rottet said. “What does that really mean? That’s very subjective, it’s vague even. We had a lot of questions from patrons, as well as staff during our formal staff trainings at the beginning of each semester. ‘Well, what about this? What about that?’ It became clear that our staff were seeing some things and they wanted to be sure that they’re being consistent. [The dress code] was being enforced, there were just questions about it because it was so vague.”
Rottet wanted to make the dress code for patrons at the UREC simpler and easier to understand.
“We took it upon ourselves to say, ‘How can we make this education, a little bit easier for everyone?’ Pictorial representation,” she said.
Rottet said there are three main reasons for the dress code, one of them being health.
“There wasn’t a situation that happened in the facility that was bacterial infection-related, that’s not the case,” she said. “We’re just being preventative. We’re just trying to do some risk management and risk mitigation.”
She said the second reason is inappropriate workout attire poses a risk on the equipment.
“When people wear jeans that have little metal rivets on them, those poke holes in the padding on our equipment,” Rottet said. “Those are $100 a pop to replace at minimum.”
The last reason is physical safety.
“It was already being enforced. [One example is] the really low-cut tank tops,” she said. “So, if they’re playing flag football, and you’re going to grab somebody’s flag and somebody’s fingers are getting caught in a shirt, and we’re having finger and hand injuries because of it.”
UTRGV Health and Human Performance Lecturer Gabriel Moralez said, “I do think [sweat poses a health risk]. Speaking in regards to the equipment alone, I do think so. Sweat obviously, it’s a mixture, it is strong, even if you notice on your T-shirt.
“If you just finished a high intensity workout, your T-shirt is drenched. You visit that T-shirt the next day and it is kinda hard, it’s kinda rough. So, imagine the equipment going through that daily, multiple times throughout the day. It’s a strong wear and tear on the equipment.”
He is concerned about the implementation of more policies.
“Adding more policies can put a little damper on your workout, and we don’t want protocol to get in the way of the overall goal, to encourage exercise,” Moralez said.
Electrical engineering senior Christian Cano said he believes the policy is too strict.
“We are all adults here, so we should be able to wear what we’re comfortable with,” Cano said.
Rottet said she and the UREC staff are willing to listen and work with the students.
“They can email me, they can email the general recreation email. Either myself, [Associate Director] Annette [Livas], or [Assistant Director of Facilities and Services] Carlos [Garcia],” she said. “We are the ones who comprise the leadership team in this department. One of the three of us will respond to each of those emails. I already started doing that for a couple that I have received, inviting them to come and sit down and chat.”
While the recreation center in Brownsville is part of Texas Southmost College, its dress code is roughly the same as the UREC, according to Rottet.
For more information about the dress code policy, email urec@utrgv.edu.
