 |
Temporary
workout facility gains increasing number of users The temporary weight room and cardio center at the old Cokesbury Bookstore isn’t exactly swamped with students, but the slow and steady increase of faculty and students has pleasantly surprised the staff, said assistant director Mary Ellen Milam. “We really had no idea what sort of response we were going to get when we decided to offer an on-campus alternative exercise room while the new University Recreation Center is under construction,” Milam said. “We have been astounded.”
The temporary facility averages 2500 to 3000 users per week, she said. That is a 50 percent decrease in daily users from the old facility’s average, Milam said. “We’ve limited use to students and faculty, whereas in the past we allowed alumni and community members to use the facility,” Milam said. “That’s part of the difference, and the lack of showers in this facility also contributes to the decrease.” The temporary building has no showers, Milam said. Milam said early morning use was hit the hardest with the changes because fewer people are coming before work or class since they have no way to shower before beginning their day. While specific statistics were not kept in the Rickel Building, Milam estimates that the male to female user ratio has dramatically shifted as well. “In the old facility I would say the users were 60 percent female to 40 percent male,” she said. “We started the semester in the new facility with an almost exact reverse of that: 65 percent male to 40 percent female.” Milam said the new pattern mystified the recreational sports staff until a student worker noted that early advertisements for the new facility only mentioned the weight room, without including the cardio equipment that traditionally draws more female users. “Once we began to let people know we had all of the exercise equipment from the Rickel the ratio began to be a little more balanced,” Milam said. “We’re also slowly seeing more women as they find that it’s safe to walk over here, and that there is adequate parking for anyone who wants to come by.” Froggie-Five-O also services the temporary location because it is considered part of the campus, said Pat Henry, TCU Police dispatcher . Milam said that there is a parking crunch for users around 11 a.m., but that after 3 p.m. several nearby lots like the TCU Police parking lot clear out, leaving plenty of room for afternoon and evening patrons. Beth Rall, a junior fashion promotion major, said although she has run into parking difficulties she comes three to four times a week anyway. “I looked into working out off-campus at the beginning of the semester, but I just wasn’t willing to pay $150 in club fees,” she said. “This building is a lot smaller than the Rickel was, so that’s kind of confining, but it’s also much newer than the Rickel.” Rall said the trade-off was fine with her for the short term since the new University Recreation Center is scheduled to be completed this December. Kami
Lewis |
|||
|
TCU Daily Skiff © 2002 |
||||
