By Katlin Sweeney
Editor-in-Chief
The CSUSM Kinesiology Club is one of the best representations on campus of a group that combines enthusiasm, ingenuity and teamwork.
Kinesiology Club seeks to get students involved with health awareness, outreach in the community and providing guest speakers in the field. Their guests range from chiropractors to physician’s assistants to behavior modification specialists and prosthetists. The club is also in the process of establishing a mentorship program between Pre-Kinesiology and Kinesiology students.
While the club is student run, Kinesiology Club also relies on the support of their faculty adviser, Dr. Laura de Ghetaldi, as well as Dr. Todd Astorino, Dr. Jeff Nessler and Dr. Arnel Aguinaldo. Club Vice President Ross Edmunds said that each professor encourages students to conduct research, public outreach and are excited about what the club can accomplish.
Kinesiology Club also has access to numerous devices such as a Velotron Dynafit Pro electronic bicycle ergometer, Monark Wingate Peak bicycle ergometer, Biodex isokinetic dynamometer, Burdick treadmills that specialize in heart rate and a Dexa scanner that looks at bone density. The use of this equipment is what aids students in conducting research outside the classroom.
“This is an incredible opportunity for CSUSM students. When I have talked to other universities, I have found that normally only graduate students would have access to these materials,” Edmunds said.
But the enormous impact of the club is not confined to research projects that stay on campus. Edmunds and other students have gone to conferences at other universities to present their projects and spread the knowledge they have amassed. They also work with Donate Don’t Dump, where Kinesiology Club students distribute food to those in the area that suffer from food insecurity. The club successfully completed six food distributions in the last semester, and have helped pass out over 36,000 pounds of food last year.
The club welcomes any Pre-Kinesiology or Kinesiology students that are interested in meeting and working with students at all stages of their academic career.
“We have students that are going into pre-physical therapy, applied exercise science, health science, physical education. We have a very healthy diversity and CSUSM opens up so many doors for students,” Edmunds said.
Contact President Amy Clark at [email protected] or Dr. Laura de Ghetaldi at [email protected] for more information.