Published: February 2, 2011

The stairwell in the Leon Lowenstein building at Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) is rarely used aside from the occasional student running late for class, going to the second or third floor, or too impatient to wait for an empty elevator. However, Nicolette Harrington and Sofia Desenberg, FCLC ’13, joined forces to create an event on Facebook called the “30-Day Fordham Stair Challenge” to change taking the stairs from a last-resort method to a conscious choice to benefit health and fitness. Their goal is to take only the stairs to all classes and avoid the elevators from Jan. 18 to Feb. 18 in an effort to lose weight, according to the event information. As of Jan. 27, 114 students registered as “attending” on the event’s Facebook page.

“A lot of people were saying they ‘would die’ from all the stairs, but it’s only two flights per floor, and the longer commutes to class have gotten people more active and exercising more without going to the gym,” Harrington said.

According to Harrington, her inspiration to create the challenge came during a conversation with a friend who had lost several pant sizes by taking the stairs to and from class on a regular basis during her freshman year. Created over the winter break, the event was slated to start the first day of the spring semester, lasting for 30 days with a promised incentive for the person who loses the most weight.

Students who originally signed up have followed through on the challenge, and they are already starting to reap the benefits.

“I’ve lost three pounds already, in just two weeks,” Jake Leonen, FCLC ’11, said.  “I plan to keep doing it even after the formal challenge  is over. It gives me an excuse to put exercise in my daily schedule.” Leonen’s classes, which are on the ninth, fifth, and fourth floors, are not an impediment to his participation.

Charlie Puente, FCLC ’12, said the challenge is a way to re-establish a fitness plan from his freshman year. “At the beginning of freshman year, I took the stairs all the time. I fell out of the habit over the past few years, so I saw this as a challenge to start doing it again.”

Some Fordham students are enthusiastic about the concept, but are unable to execute it regularly. Amelia Zaino, FCLC ’12, said he likes the idea, but isn’t able to take the stairs as much as she wants. “If I get to campus at 9:50 a.m. for a 10 a.m. class, I don’t have the time to walk up eight flights of stairs. I try to do it when I have the time, but I find myself taking the elevator a lot,” Zaino said.

Others are unaware of the challenge. Jacqueline Sibille, FCLC ’12, was unaware of the event because of the way she uses Facebook. “I usually just go on my Facebook and check my profile and quickly check my news feed,” Sibille said. “I wouldn’t have seen the event even if I was invited to it because I don’t check those things.” Sibille found the stair challenge “intriguing,” although she would not participate because she doesn’t “do things based on Facebook.”

Renee White, FCLC ’12 and a new transfer student, was also unaware of the event. “It sounds like an interesting idea, but I wouldn’t do it. I’m always in too much of a rush. I have to take the elevator.”

Some students plan on adopting taking the stairs as their primary route to class. Puente plans to continue the stair-climbing habit after the challenge ends. “It’s becoming a habit now, and it’s gotten easier to do as I’ve gone along.”