A thousand people use the facilities at the Ralph S. O'Connor Recreation Center daily, leading many students to be concerned with available space for routine exercise. Though the gym is open on weekdays between 6 a.m. and midnight, the peak hours for usage are 4 and 7 p.m. and equipment is becoming limited when students need it. Though there are not any plans for expansion in the works, they are currently looking to replace the track around the lacrosse field.
The center provides practiceareas, weight rooms, a pool, climbing wall and gyms for
Varsity teams, students, and faculty. Bill Harrington, Senior Associate Director of Athletics and Recreation recognizes the issue of overcrowding and noted that it is "largely unavoidable." Though the fitness center is open all day, most students and faculty choose to work out after class or work.
"Even if we bought more equipment, there still wouldn't be enough for everyone who comes to work out during the peak hours," he said.
Since the Rec Center was opened in January 2002, there have been several renovations. They have waterproofed Homewood stands, improved the lights and ventilation in the pool, resurfaced the practice and home fields and replaced and updated cardio and weight equipment. The Rec Center is responsible for maintaining the work out centers in resident housing including Wolman, McCoy, Homewood, Bradford and the new room in Charles Commons.
"Resident housing gets used equipment from the Rec Center. We're not trying to keep people away; rather, we want to make working out accessible and convenient for everyone," Harrington said.
Another issue is space. Industry standards dictate how close equipment can be incase someone were to fall off, so the machines cannot be packed in. The fitness center also provides machines for people with special needs.
"Even though these machines aren't getting as much use, we want to make this center accessible for all students, including those who are wheelchair-bound," Harrington added.
Treadmills and elliptical machines tend to fill up first. "We recognize what people like to use and buy that equipment, but if we bought five more treadmills, they would still be occupied when it's most crowded," he said.
As for when the best time to hit the gym is, Harrington advised, "If you were to get here at 6am, except for an hour around noon and the rush in the evening, you'd be able to find the machines you want to use." At 11:50 a.m. last Thursday, there were eight people working out in the fitness room and plenty of free equipment.
"You're not going to find a fitness center that's too big" Harrington said, "because for most of the day there are plenty of available machines. We cannot justify spending for more machines for those three hours when everyone comes."
Students complain about equipment breaking down. Harrington responded, "Just like a car, these treadmills need work periodically. These are the top of the line, best treadmills on the market, but they run all day long. They're going to have problems sometimes." The Rec Center spent 40,000 dollars on new equipment this summer.
The Rec Center has begun to open up areas during peak hours that were built exclusively for varsity teams. The basketball team plays in the Goldfarb gym, but it opens up when the auxiliary gyms are closed for events. "We try not to wear it out, but we let people spill over," Harrington said.
The varsity weight room, however, is exclusively for varsity teams. It would require more supervision to open it up to all students because the equipment, including power weights, can be more dangerous than the public weight room. It's easier to monitor a group instead of random individuals.
Students recognize the over-crowding issue and some have altered their work out routines.
Sophomore Michael Colgan prefers to run outside but plans to use the gym more often when winter comes. "When I do work out in the gym I find that it takes so long to get your workout done because you have to wait for each individual to get off of the machines."
Other students have found ways to work around crowding issue. Junior Adrienne Nolan said, "I go five times a week. I go in the afternoon usually, so it's not crowded."
Junior Julienne Markel works out in the Charles Commons gym to avoid the walk from Wyman Towers to the Rec Center. "I wish there were other machines in the Charles Commons gym besides cardio," she said.
"This is a multipurpose facility, and we do the best we can to accommodate everyone's needs and preferences," Harrington said.
Some students indicated a need for further options besides the small number of machines available for use in the Charles Commons and Wolman residential halls. The undergraduate dormitories lack an extensive range of equipment and force several students to go to the Rec Center.
