Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies

Late Night: Spinning with the Crawfords

By Hannah Fierle, Staff Writer

Starting this week, students will have the opportunity to get to know Miami's new President and his wife by spending time with them during one of their favorite activities. The couple will host a combined spinning class and movie night on Thursday.

The couple is hoping there is enough interest in the program, which they are calling "Spin-in-Movies," in order to turn it into a recurring event. The event is partnered with the Miami University Rec Center and Late Night Miami.

"We thought this would be a fun way for us to interact with students and do something fun and active that could be enjoyed by everyone of all levels and abilities," said Dr. Crawford.

As the university's First Lady, a big part of Dr. Crawford's platform is health and fitness, so she hopes to offer more programming that incorporates exercise.

The Crawfords have chosen for their first film "McFarland, USA," one of the President's favorites. Based on a true story, the film follows the former football coach, Jim White, who coaches a track team to great success when relocated to a Latino high school in California's Central Valley.

"This is really just meant to be a fun event rather than a rigorous exercise class," said President Crawford. "There will be space for people to watch the movie and hang out, even if they're not spinning."

A spinning class seems the perfect activity for the Crawfords, self-described exercise enthusiasts. At Miami, they partake in early morning spinning and rowing classes and regularly run and bike on campus.

"We try to participate in organizations' 5K races and other events whenever we can," said Dr. Crawford. "I love to see how passionate students are for the university and the community, so we try to get involved as much as our schedule allows."

When asked about the event, students were enthusiastic and expressed interest in attending.

"The spin-in movie event President Crawford and his wife are having is a great way for students to get to know the new president," said freshman Ireland Bender, who frequently attends spinning classes at the rec. "Spinning is a type of workout where it doesn't feel like you're working out. That's a big reason why I love it so much. A movie combined with spinning sounds like an awesome night."

Spin-In Movies will take place at 9 p.m. on Wednesday at the rec center.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter