Finally.
The Student Assembly's action last Tuesday to support funding of the Kresge Weight room was a sensible decision to address a subject that has been on the minds of students for several months now.
The $8,500 will be a start for the many additions and repairs the weight room needs, but it is time the administration responds to the Assembly's challenge to match and better that donation. It is time for the College to recognize the expansion and improvement of the weight room is no longer just an athlete issue -- it is a student issue and therefore should not be funded solely out of the athletic department's budget.
Wellness is an issue that has seized America. Whether it's Oprah's march to weight loss though diet and exercise or the controversy surrounding the FDA's approval of Olestra, the issue of diet and exercise is a reoccurring topic in magazines and on news programs across the nation. For Dartmouth students, diet and exercise is nothing new. After all, well over half of Dartmouth students played high school sports and a large majority continue to play competitive sports through varsity and junior varsity athletics as well as intramurals. For these students, as well as the ones who desire to better their overall wellness by exercising on a regular basis, facilities are needed to accommodate them.
The College obviously recognized students' need for healthier eating when it helped establish Home Plate, which offers a wide range of low fat, nutritional foods. However, when it comes to exercise, the College has failed. The current facilities are simply inadequate for a college with approximately 5,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Combine that number with faculty and community members who frequent the gym, and the need for a better facility is evident.
For example, there are only two indoors tracks on campus -- one in the Leverone Field House which is used primarily by the track team and the other in Alumni Gym which one must jog around 13 times to run a mile (if you're like me, you get dizzy). When winter hits Hanover, this track is the only option for student who do not like to run on ice or snow. There are other ways to get a cardiovascular workout -- using treadmills, bikes or stairmasters. This type of equipment is commonplace in clubs and colleges across the nation. But at Dartmouth that is not the case.
The five bikes, two stairmasters (currently only one, since the other one is being repaired) and three rowing machines in the weight room simply are not enough. Furthermore, the lack of cardio equipment is compounded by the fact that since there is only one facility for lifting weights; the lifting area is too crowded. This is inadequate.
The administration attempts to address issues that affect students. Funding is given to develop alternative social options like the project implemented in the New Dorms. But it is time the College recognizes that a better weight room is what a large majority of students need and want -- not a snack bar in Brace Commons.
Drastic action must take place. Students should not be satisfied by an agreement to match the $8,000 given by the SA because there needs to be much more money given to adequately solve the problems at hand. New equipment is a start, but it is not enough.
There needs to be expansion. Whether it's converting a dorm basement into a second weight room or it's finding space within the gym, a new area needs to be allotted. With the combination of more space and new equipment, the weight room can enter into the 1990s and better accommodate the needs of students.