JACKSON BORMAN | STAFF REPORTER | jborman@butler.edu
This week, Butler University’s club, known simply as CHAARG, surpassed the hundred-member mark for the first time ever.
CHAARG stands for Changing Health Attitudes and Actions to Recreate Girls and acts as an outlet to get a workout in as well as to meet classmates.
Weekly meetings consist of a warm-up, a planned workout for a small group, bonding time and short and long term goal-setting. The small groups work as motivators, as well as support systems for members. During meetings, groups discuss their highs and lows for the week, nicknamed ‘Bolts’ and ‘Blues,’ respectively.
Along with weekly meetings, the club offers morning runs and weekly studio spotlights, where groups will travel to a local studio or the instructor will come to campus for a fitness class. These classes range from Pilates to kick-boxing to hula-hooping.
First-year student Madison Miyake recently joined CHAARG and said she loves the group so far.
“It works as a great way to keep me motivated, because I’ll have other girls around me to keep myself in check,” Miyake said.
The organization has groups on 38 campuses across the country. The national organization for CHAARG also puts together socials, national retreats and secret gift exchanges across chapters.
Senior Hannah Mentjes, the current ambassador for Butler’s chapter, is passionate about helping her classmates to improve their lifestyles.
“We are all about helping girls find their fit in the fitness community,” she said. “We strive to be a community where girls can grow to be the best people that they can be with unending support and zero judgement.”
The feeling of community and goals of the club have already spread to the new members.
“It’s inclusive and anyone can join,” Miyake said. “The focus is just to improve yourself.”
CHAARG is an outlet for girls to get exercises in and make friends, but the real goal is to inspire members to commit to a lifestyle of fitness.
“Being healthy should not just be something that people strive to do to get that ‘spring break body’, it should be something that people focus on for a lifetime,” Mentjes said.
