Student organizations make up a large part of the EMU community, and recently one of them has ended up in a tough spot.
EMU’s Judo Club is one of the athletic clubs at EMU and has recently been subject to the potential loss of its practice space in Warner Building, Gym C.
According to Lily DeRamos, one of the Judo Club presidents, “We were peaceful with the prior gymnastics coach whom we shared practice space with. However, the new coach along with the athletics department has decided to take control of the space and not allow other groups in. My sensei has tried to e-mail him, but the coach has refused to negotiate for anytime.”
Without this practice space, the Judo Club will be forced to disband.
“There is no other space safe enough for us to practice our sport,” said DeRamos. “We would have to go off campus, and in doing so, disassociate ourselves from EMU. Many of our club members would have to travel over thirty minutes away to another suitable venue, which is a challenge.”
The Judo Club has been a part of EMU for over 20 years and has provided many benefits to the EMU community. Students can obtain learning beyond the classroom credit while learning about Japanese culture through Judo.
It also offers self-defense techniques through the unique form of martial arts and is open to students no matter their level of athleticism. The club helps with self-confidence and boosting self-esteem through interaction between students and alumni.
The club provides a benefit to the LGBT community on campus by offering a bully-proofing class that is also eligible for LBC credit. However, due to the issues with keeping the practice space, the future of this class is also in jeopardy.
DeRamos has created an online petition to raise awareness for the club’s cause and to get a sense of what the student body has to say about this turn of events. The petition can be found at
