This year, students are not only taking the physical fitness tests twice, but they must also complete both the pacer test and the mile test.

“Some kids do better on the mile than on the pacer, or the other way around, so it gives students the opportunity to do well,” David Gusitsch said.

Gusitsch explained that having the physical fitness test twice a year will allow students to see their progress. He also said the testing is useful to the Physical Education department as well.

“We’ve begun to look at the data from the fitness tests to see where we can improve in the Physical Education program,” Gusitsch said.

Though Gusitsch views the fitness testing as a positive thing, some students seem to disagree.

“ I think running [the mile and the pacer] is unnecessary, and that running one is fair enough,” Maeve Flaherty ’12 said.

Sami Schwaeber ’12 was also displeased when she discovered she had to run the mile and the pacer.

“I felt like my life was ending,” Schwaeber said with a laugh.

One student, who prefers to remain anonymous, intentionally skipped his physical education period so he wouldn’t have to run the mile.

“I don’t really care how fast I can run the mile, and since it doesn’t affect my grade, I might as well not run it,” the student said.

He also said if he had shown up to class, he probably would not have tried anyway, so there was no point.

But Gusitsch explained that effort is the most important part of the Physical fitness tests.

“We understand that everyone is at a different level and we’re ok if [students] don’t reach health, as long as they are giving it their full effort,” Gusitsch said.

He hopes students can put as much effort into physical education class, as they do in any other class.

“The department wants to try to get every student to perform the best that they can,” Gusitsch said.