Faculty in First Person
Rodd Strobel Assistant professor of physical education
Taking care of your body is vital for mental and spiritual function and growth I have developed an obsession with a triangle. I blame Gary Hamburgh, Tim Windemuth, Ralph Perrin, and Curtis Kuhlman, because it started in their classes when I was a physical education major at Walla Walla University. They took seriously the equilateral triangle in our school seal and did everything in their power to ensure that I took it seriously too. They challenged me to focus on what I consider the most important side of that physical, mental, spiritual triangle in order to encourage a truly balanced life in my students. My obsession is renewed every fall when WWU faculty and staff read together the core themes, philosophy, and vision of Walla Walla University, and again in the spring when the school seal on Centennial Green provides the backdrop for sending a fresh batch of alumni out into the world. The philosophy statement we recite draws from Ellen White’s book Education: “… every person is created in the image of God as a being of inestimable value and worth, imbued with powers of intelligence, stewardship, and creativity akin to those of the Creator.” She goes on to say that educational institutions are to “send forth men [and women] strong to think and to act, men [and women] who are masters and not slaves of circumstances, men [and women] who possess breadth of mind, clearness of thought, and the courage of their convictions.” This is what has motivated me to be a physical educator for the last 30 years, and this is why I am convinced that physical education is the most important area of study on this campus. Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. Everything in life is experienced through our physical bodies. Everything! Our senses of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch are all physical processes. From noticing that vision of loveliness across the cafeteria, to walking across campus to the next class, to the lightbulb moment of finally understanding that concept in physics class—everything we do or experience happens through our physical bodies. It’s not just that the mental and spiritual aspects of our existence are enhanced by a healthy body, it’s that they are dependent on a physical body to exist. You can’t even read these words or form an opinion about them without the physical processes of neurotransmitters, ions, and semipermeable membranes doing their physical thing over and over. And it only works if a variety of physical properties (sodium, calcium, potassium, etc.) are balanced within an optimal range. Because of this, anything that contributes to the optimal functioning of the body enhances our ability to engage in all our other pursuits. Literature, science, history, music—all these important and worthwhile fields of study benefit from the body functioning at its highest possible level. A healthy body works better than an unhealthy body and contributes positively to anything you chose to do. I have another obsession that is related to the first. I am fascinated by how people learn to do things. All kinds of things. In one of my classes we read and discuss
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Westwind Fall 2018
photograph by CHRIS DRAKE
