Friends organize exclusive spin class for first-years taught by the dean

Science students Lily Eshraghi and Leena Han can confirm the rumours are true about Dean Maureen MacDonald.

The dean does not take it easy during her spin classes at The Pulse. It’s a punishing workout. But Lily and Leena still had a blast working up a sweat with 20 other first-year students.

Leena and Lily are friends and first-year reps on the McMaster Science Society. They’d been looking for no-pressure and fun ways to connect students with the dean. An in-studio spin class seemed like a great idea.

It was in a Science 1A03 lecture where Leena learned that Maureen was a spin class instructor. The dean was giving a guest lecture and extended an open invitation to the entire class to join one of her weekly workouts. Leena went, had a blast and asked Lily to tag along for the dean’s next spin class.

They reached out and asked the dean if she’d be willing and able to teach an evening class exclusively for first-years. Maureen said yes with one condition – Leena and Lily needed to put together the playlist. Otherwise, students would be working out to the dean’s playlist of Anne Murray’s greatest hits which would make the spin class even more punishing.

With the dean on board, Lily and Leena invited a trio of faculty who teach some of the largest first-year science courses. Like the dean, associate professor Joe Kim, assistant professor Anthony Chibba and Rosa da Silva, associate dean of undergraduate studies, were happy to join the class.

After working out to classics like Eye of the Tiger, Walking on Sunshine, I Want it That Way, Empire State of Mind and Sk8ter Boi, students and faculty had a meet-and-greet cooldown.

While they came up with the idea of a spin class, Leena and Lily say help from many individuals made it happen. “It felt very rewarding when the night was done. We really wanted this event to achieve our vision of connecting students and professors. And it definitely did.”

They’re already planning other events with lots of ideas in the works. There’s no word yet if any of those events will feature an Anne Murray-exclusive playlist.