Students petition for gym repairs

College sophomore Whitney Ruth came to the University from military duty in a desert war zone in Saudi Arabia. He was anxiously awaiting the conveniences of a city school. But what he found was that the military's tented desert gym had more equipment, better air circulation and a more comfortable environment than the basement of the University's Hutchinson Gymnasium. And Whitney is only one of hundreds of students who have complained about the inadequate condition of the University's free-weight facility. "For $25,000 a year this is a university that is supposed to be it all," said College Junior Doug Galvin. "In Hutch's basement there is no ventilation and the equipment is in bad condition?High schools have better facilities than they have here." Students using free-weights in Hutch basement said they work out surrounded by piles of cardboard and plastic in the corner, dirt and dust circulated by fans, and columns padded by aging ripped mats and duck tape. Nor are the weights they are using located in the original workout room. After the University's Office of Risk Management said insurance could not cover damage from wear and tear to the old floor, the weights were then moved into a hallway adjacent to the room -- where they currently sit. Students also see a series of signs on the wall. The first reads, "General mat rules: do not walk barefoot on concrete floor. Dirty feet bring dirt onto the mats." The second sign asks students who are upset with the current conditions to sign a petition of protest. Between Sept. 19 and Sept. 27 of this year 753 students have signed the petition. And the petition has not been circulated outside the workout room. The sign posted reads: "If you're angry about 'the new' set up of our gym, please read and sign the letter in the front of the gym." The petition, which will be sent to University President Judith Rodin and to Athletic Director Steve Bilsky, is a complaint not only about the free-weight room but also about the general inadequacy of the workout facilities that the University offers, according to the petition. But the conditions of Hutch's hallway workout room are nothing new to students, many said this week. The original room has a history of structural problems as well. The old room now lies barren. Dirt and dust and a crumpled yellow caution ribbon decorate the uneven, cracked floor. Physical Plant Director Art Gravina said the basement floor, which was originally built as a firing range, did not have the appropriate re-enforcement to support several tons of equipment. "Over the years the structure of the floor has disintegrated," Gravina said. The University moved the free-weight equipment from the men's locker room to Hutch's basement about a decade ago so that women could also use it. But during this move, no one examined the room to see if it was fit for the equipment. "Hutchinson gym was being renovated and something had to be done immediately," said Robert Glascott, the director of the Recreation Department "It wasn't done. Why wasn't it done, I have no idea." Glascott likened the University's actions to putting on a band-aid -- it covers the cut, but doesn't make it go away. After Risk Management Assistant Director Ron Jasner and his office said the structural damage was not covered by insurance, the weight room was boarded up and the equipment was moved into the hallway. But before the weights could be relocated, the hallway -- which was once sand and dirt -- needed to be covered with concrete. This was the cheapest and quickest way to restore a weight room to Hutch, while other plans were in the works. But now the short term solution is also inadequate, students and officials said. And if the University does not either re-enforce the floor or enact other plans for reconstruction, the weight of the equipment may once again sink the floor, Glascott confirmed. He added that fixing the damage could cost up to $180,000 -- money which is not in the budget of either Physical Plant or the Recreation Department. And if the University allocated money to fix the floor, the workout facilities available to students would still be inadequate, according to John Hamrick, the assistant director of the Recreation Department. "The state of the equipment is not that bad, although we obviously need much more, but I think the environment is deplorable, it's just not safe," Hamrick said. "The ceilings are too low and it's too hot and humid. When it's 90 degrees outside it's 110 in here. "And that's not only in the weight room, there is not circulation or air conditioning Hutchinson Gymnasium including the fitness room and dance studios," he added. Both University students and staff agreed that the free weight room was one of the most consistently used recreational facilities. They said that at 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the afternoon it is so crowded that you can barely move in the basement. Glascott and Hamrick both said they are working towards solutions, but the process is moving slowly. "[Plans] are in the talking stages and I want to believe hopefully by January, the decision will be made about what will be done down there. "The only other thing we can do is build a multi-purpose facility," he added. "And there is no place in our facilities to build a modern weight facility that will adequately take care of our needs." He said a decision needs to be made soon in order to correct the situation. "A decision has to be made because there is no place else to go. The buttons have been pushed," he said. "The president's office is aware of it, the provost's office is aware of it, Steve Bilsky is aware of it, Art Gravina is aware of it and Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, the acting vice provost for University Life, is aware of it. But it has to be kept in front of them." Both administrators -- Glascott and Hamrick -- said students must keep requesting additional resources for improved facilities. They added that students must be persistent so the administration will hear their call for more resources.