It has come to our attention that inaccurate statements were made in Issue 15 of The Flor-Ala referring to the UNA Pride of Dixie (POD) Auxiliary. We would like to inform the recipients of the publication how our procedures and standards are implemented.

The POD auxiliary standards, originally suggested by President Guillot, have been modified over the last 30 years as technology has progressed. In the article by Ashley Remkus, Richey is quoted as saying that BFP (body fat percentage) testing cannot determine how much of a girl’s mass is fat. While BMI (body mass index) testing cannot differentiate between fat and muscle, BFP testing can. Our BFP testing machine requires information such as height, weight, age, sex, and body type (athlete vs. normal). This qualifies our testing system as more than a “weigh-in,” as referenced in the article. That being said, BFP testing does not use default measurements for every member as Richey was quoted saying, but rather, is specific to the person using the tester.

The lowest BFP requirement in place for the auxiliary is 21.9 percent. The average BFP for an athlete is 14-20 percent. For men, 25 percent BFP is considered obese; Women are considered obese at 32 percent. The POD is not requiring members to exhibit unhealthy habits. On the contrary, the POD shows members how to maintain a healthy lifestyle with the help of Rebecca Tedder, an AFAA certified trainer.

Tedder teaches how to properly use gym equipment and is qualified to detect harmful eating habits. BFP testing makes it easy to detect these issues through recognition of simultaneous weight loss and increased BFP. A member choosing to remain anonymous stated, “girls who were above the required BFP also had to stay for an extra 30 minutes after practice every day.” This has never been a requirement for those not meeting fitness standards.

Jacques states, “body fat percentage does not determine a person’s ability to perform.” Because we have physically demanding routines, if we do not have a fitness standard, we risk possible injury. Fitness is directly related to optimal performance, which is the only way the POD wants to represent the university.

Participating members were not given the opportunity to inform the publishers of how our procedures work before the publication was released. After setting a precedent of support and recruitment for the university, we were disappointed that our organization was misrepresented by these inaccuracies.