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LifestylesUK
faculty, staff get free rides on LexTran UK faculty, staff get free rides on LexTranEach fall, the start of the new school year is signaled by the marching band practicing the fight song outside the Singletary Center, the hordes of students moving back into the residence halls, the steady stream of shoppers at the bookstores and, of course, the increased traffic and decreased parking on and around campus. In an effort to help alleviate the strain on available parking spots and the increase in car volume, LexTran and the University of Kentucky have joined forces to provide all faculty, staff and students free fares on all of LexTran's regular routes throughout Lexington. The normal fare is $1 for one way. "We hope this service attracts many riders on campus by providing them with a dependable, efficient and comfortable means of transportation," said Don Thornton, director of UK's Parking and Transportation Services. "If it is something they will rely on, then we hope to be able to continue the service in the future." Begun on Aug. 28, the program is funded by the national Congestion Mitigation Air Quality Improvement program which provided a one-year, $1.6 million grant. During the fall semester, all UK faculty, staff and students can ride LexTran for free by showing their UK IDs upon boarding a bus. In the spring, LexTran hopes to have fare boxes installed on all busses that will allow riders to swipe a magnetic card for each fare. At that time, the pass cards will be available at distribution points across campus and at the LexTran transit center downtown. All regular LexTran routes, which run seven days a week from approximately 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., are eligible for the free fare program. Special routes such as the Touchdown Downtown shuttle to UK football games and the UK student shuttle to Rupp Arena for basketball games are not included. LexTran provides numerous routes throughout the city, including four that come directly to UK's campus. In the future, routes and schedules will be added to target those areas heavily populated by faculty, staff and students. After the first year, LexTran can apply for two additional years of funding from the grant program. After that time, UK and LexTran would be required to seek funding locally if the demand exists. For more information on available routes, visit www.lextran.com or call 253-4636. UK Wellness Program offers classes, fitness programsThe University of Kentucky Wellness Program doesn't just focus on exercise. There are a variety of seminars, groups and classes being offered this fall, in addition to fitness programming. Work
Life "The seminars are geared to address issues that all UK employees sometimes must face," said Tammy Akin, health promotion specialist, UK Wellness Program. Through the program, employees will learn to do things such as find resources for the care of elderly parents and learn to plan a financial budget. Seminars are free of charge, although registration is required by calling 257-WELL. Weight
Management Classes The classes cover topics such as healthy eating and weight management. Both the weight management classes and Work Life series meet for 40 minutes, during the noon lunch break. To register for the free classes, call 257-WELL. Weight
Watchers The At Work Program from Weight Watchers will begin bringing weekly meetings to UK. The first meeting is a free organizational meeting to be held at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in 200 Funkhouser Building. Although the group can be joined at any time, participants are encouraged to attend the initial meeting. An enrollment fee is charged. For more information, contact Theresa Kremer, Wellness Program dietitian, at 257-5159. Fitness "It's important for employees to maintain a routine fitness schedule," Kremer said. "Moderate exercise increases one's productivity, energy and self-esteem and can decrease stress." The Wellness Program is offered to benefit eligible employees, retirees and spouses. The program's Body Shop offers fitness classes including cardio step, target training, high/low impact aerobics, kickfit, abs & stretch, deep water jog, deep water works and shallow water works. Plus, participants may use exercise equipment at the Body Shop Fitness Center located in the Alumni Gym. For an additional fee, participants may enroll in mind/body movement classes including yoga and yogilates. "The Wellness Program offers classes geared toward a variety of interests and abilities," Kremer said. "Plus, the schedule of classes allows employees to exercise either during their lunch break or after work." Those who are new to the Wellness Program must pay a one-time $5 health and fitness consultation fee before registering for classes. These consultations are scheduled year round by calling 257-3772. For more information about the Wellness Program, visit www.uky.edu/HR/wellness. Seaton
Conditioning Room Update Beginning Jan. 2, 2003, all continuing users of the Seaton conditioning room must be a UK Wellness Program Body Shop member by completing the following: . Health and Fitness Consultation (HFC), Body Shop's health risk assessment procedure consisting of resting heart rate and resting blood pressure measurement, a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire that measures for health risks, and a signed physician clearance form. Current Body Shop members do not need to repeat the HFC process. . Completion of Body Shop registration form and payment of a $20 semester fee to UK Wellness Program, 116A Seaton Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0219. Future information regarding the management transition of the conditioning room will be posted via memos and UK News articles. For information regarding the UK Wellness Program Body Shop Fitness, call 257-3772 or visit www.uky.edu/HR/wellness. For information regarding the Bernard J. Johnson Student Recreational Facility, call 257-2898. Body
Shop Physical Movement and Mind/Body Classes .
Cardio Step 12:10-12:50 p.m. 132 Seaton Building Monday/Wednesday/Friday Class of 2006 medical students receive white coatsThe 96 members of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine's Class of 2006 marked the beginning of their medical education in August at UK's Memorial Hall. During the ceremony, UK medical students received their short white coats that they will wear while seeing patients. The first-year students took a "Pledge of Professionalism for Students of Medicine," promising a relationship of compassion and respect with patients, teachers and colleagues. UK's Medical Alumni Association co-sponsored the annual ceremony, which is designed to encourage humanism in medicine. The speaker at the event was Grady Stumbo, a 1971 graduate of the UK College of Medicine and father of a fourth-year student. The class consists of 41 women and 55 men, two African Americans, and 47 from rural areas (including 21 from rural Appalachia). Eighty-nine are Kentucky residents. Athletics offers University faculty, staff free admissionMicki King wants sports at the University of Kentucky to make a bigger splash. As well she should. She's an assistant UK athletics director and, incidentally, winner of the Olympic gold medal in springboard diving in 1972. To raise public awareness of men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball, King arranged for the UK Athletics Department to offer a deal to UK employees, beginning with the fall sports of men's and women's soccer. Employees, and up to five family members, can enter a soccer game of their choice by presenting an employee-appreciation coupon. The coupons are available in all colleges' dean's offices, as well as at Scovell Hall, UK Chandler Medical Center, the Student Center, Peterson Service Building, William T. Young Library, Memorial Coliseum ticket office and UK Athletics Media Relations. "If this project works for soccer, we'll extend it for baseball, gymnastics and women's basketball, the three other Olympic sports UK charges for admission," King said. The Athletics Department is expecting faculty and staff attendance to increase this fall in volleyball, which is one of UK's Olympic sports that offers free admission to everyone. Volleyball matches are played in Memorial Coliseum; soccer takes place at the UK Soccer Complex off Alumni Boulevard. King also encourages UK employees to attend the winter and spring sports of track-and-field, men's and women's tennis and golf, men's and women's swimming and diving, rifle competition and softball, all of which are free. "I hope UK families will take advantage of this exciting opportunity available to all faculty and staff," King said. "The coupon is an opportunity for families to spend time together while enjoying elite collegiate soccer teams in action." For more information about game schedules and locations, call or stop by UK Athletics Media Relations, 23 Memorial Coliseum, 257-3838. Posters, wallet schedules and media guides for each sport are available in the media relations office. Visit www.ukathletics.com for more information. New fire law top priority at UKIn 1998, a fire at Murray State University resulted in passage of the Michael Minger Act by the Kentucky General Assembly. This act requires that all "fires or threats of fire" at state colleges and universities be reported immediately to the State Fire Marshal. In order to comply with the law, all fires or threats of fire on University of Kentucky property are to be reported immediately to the UK Police, who will, in turn, report these incidents to the State Fire Marshal. University property includes all property owned, leased or controlled by UK. UK Police are automatically notified of any incident on campus that involves a fire alarm or the fire department. However, there are three situations in which individuals, whether faculty, staff or student, must make sure that UK Police (257-1616) are notified immediately: . Small fires on campus that are extinguished with or without a fire extinguisher and that do not involve a fire alarm or the fire department must be reported to UK Police. For example, a beaker of alcohol that ignites in a laboratory hood, a small trash can fire, a burnt bag of popcorn in a microwave, or a mulch fire around a shrub must be reported. . All threats of fire on campus, whether heard or observed, must be reported to UK Police. . For properties located off-campus, the official in charge of the property is responsible for reporting all fires, false alarms and threats of fires to UK Police. Airline offers 15% discount on fares for UK employeesAmerican Trans Air (ATA) and the University of Kentucky have developed a partnership that will allow UK faculty and staff to receive discounted airfares from ATA. ATA will extend a 15 percent discount on their fully refundable and changeable YTZ and HTZ class fares and a 5 percent discount on capacity controlled fares (except K and Q class). Capacity controlled fares do not require advance purchase, Saturday night stay or roundtrip purchase. These discounts are available for business or personal travel by calling ATA's special toll-free number, (877) 726-0815, for reservations and referencing Star Profile: University of Kentucky. ATA began non-stop service from Lexington's Blue Grass Airport to Chicago - Midway, with connections to many major U.S. cities, on Aug. 28. The University will continue to gain similar discounts with the other airlines that service Lexington to provide faculty and staff with a variety of reduced airfare options. For more information, please contact Marc Mathews at 257-4758 or mamath2@email.uky.edu. BriefsNew
HR policies set Free
smoking cessation class The Cooper/Clayton Smoking Cessation program is a 12-week, group support program that uses research-based methods to help people stop smoking. The free class will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday starting Sept. 24 in the first floor waiting area of the Whitney-Hendrickson Women's Cancer Facility at Markey Cancer Center. Call 323-5278. Walk-ins are welcome. Submit briefs to UK News by sending an e-mail to uknewseditor@email.uky.edu. |
