Campus Recreation at CSU Stanislaus offers several fitness classes, also known as Group X classes, to students who are interested in improving their physical wellness. Jiu-Jitsu is now one of the newly introduced offerings.
The class is taught by Jeremiah Washington (Junior, Communication Studies), a black belt with 15 years of experience. Classes are held in the mornings at the Village Cafe, located in the Residential Life Village.
According to Victor Lucatero (Director of Campus Recreation), the partnership began when Taylor Whittington (Health Educator, Student Health Center) introduced Washington as someone interested in teaching jiu jitsu.
“We met with the student and had a great conversation about aligning his vision with ours for what the class could become. From there, we worked out the logistics and successfully launched the class,” Lucatero said.
Lucatero noted that there had been significant student interest in self-defense classes.
“Safety was a top priority, so we worked closely with our HR and Risk Management departments to ensure everything was done correctly and approved for the new class, including hiring Jeremiah Washington as the instructor,” he said. “With his experience, Jeremiah is well-equipped to safely manage participants across a range of skill levels. We also needed to confirm that the space was suitable and that proper liability waivers were in place.”
Students interested in adding a new fitness class can reach out to Lucatero or Joshua Levesque (Fitness Coordinator) in person or via email. Campus Recreation encourages students to share ideas for future classes, which are evaluated based on student interest, instructor availability, and available space.
Campus Recreation moved into the Residential Life Village Cafe at the beginning of the spring semester and has since taken over the space. Since the move, staff have been actively seeking student feedback about desired programs and classes.
In response to increased interest, Campus Recreation has expanded its Intramural Sports offerings and Group X classes.
Following the success of the Jiu-Jitsu class, Campus Rec is now exploring the addition of a boxing class for the fall semester.
