Students who remain on campus next summer could serve as counselors at a University-run day camp for children of faculty and staff. Or for roughly $150 -- less than most local health clubs -- those interested in physical fitness could spend 10 sessions with a personal trainer. These are just a few examples of the new programs Recreation Director Mike Diorka intends to introduce this year. Two months into his new job, Diorka has focused on clarifying the Recreation Department's purpose, addressing student concerns and even raising school spirit. Diorka, along with intramurals assistant directors Stu Gelfond and Murray Grant, are informally surveying students who participate in University-sponsored recreational activities or use athletic facilities. "I think what we were trying to assess was what students were really feeling -- what they were trying to get out of recreation," Diorka said. "Students are generally interested in having fun at what they do." For instance, Diorka has scheduled the first-ever "Locust Walk Mile" -- a race open to the entire University community -- for Homecoming Weekend, the morning of November 2. "We think it can generate a lot of excitement," Diorka said. "We're going to try to make this into a tradition at every Homecoming." Grant said there are also plans for an upcoming "late-night extravaganza" at Franklin Field in which students would compete in field-goal kicking, throwing accuracy, sprints and other football- and soccer-related contests. And at the beginning of next semester, the Recreation Department aims to hold a week-long "Quaker basketball mania" featuring three-point shootouts and free-throw contests. Finalists would then compete at halftime of a Quakers basketball game, according to Grant. "A lot of the changes that we will be making in the next month are coming directly from what the students want," said Grant, calling the students' responses "very, very informative." Gelfond noted that the Recreation Department is also trying to centralize its operations to eliminate past confusion. Previously, many people believed that Hutchinson and Gimbel gymnasiums were managed independently of one another, when in fact the Recreation Department oversees both of them. "A lot of people may be? not even aware of the fact that there is something called campus recreation," Gelfond said. Diorka explained that the department has kept an active eye on the Hutch and Gimbel weight rooms, a subject of past student complaints. In October 1994, students filed a petition demanding better equipment and facilities in Hutch. As a result, the University repaired the floors, ventilation system and some equipment the following semester. "Every machine is up to speed and up to par and areas have been identified where we need to replace parts," Diorka said. "I think Recreation is very conscious of having [weight] rooms in good working order." He added that the Hutch weight room has a new rowing machine and that the department might "change a few pieces around" in the Gimbel weight room. But students who work out at Gimbel say there is much room for improvement. Chris Mora, a first-year Law student, called the facility "highly inadequate" and cited the need for a new, comprehensive recreation complex, such as the one at Tulane University where Diorka previously served as recreation director. Wharton sophomore Amar Bindra complained about the machines' age and the lack of free weights. And Drexel University sophomore Liz Eure called the Gimbel equipment "mediocre," although she added that the machines are sufficient for her use. "They're still pretty good for the most part," she said. Diorka cited the summer camp as a particularly good opportunity for students. "That could be a real neat experience," he said. Grant said the camp would provide a unique opportunity for children in West Philadelphia who "have never been on, at or near a university setting." Diorka noted that the personal trainer program could especially aid people who feel intimidated by the weight-room equipment. "Sometimes you look at the machines and they seem medieval, like they're some kind of contraption that can torture you," he said.
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