Think about the concept of a fitness center: It should imply a sense of order and maintenance. The St. John’s fitness center, however, is in a constant sate of disarray.
Located in the depths of Carnesecca Arena, the campus fitness center is often crowded and not well maintained. Students wishing to routinely work out, especially those students looking to weight train, are sure to face certain annoyances that can impede their time spent getting in shape.
Firstly, there are only two racks for which weight plates can be stacked. Quite often weight plates are found strewn across the weight room floor, creating obstacles for those who use the equipment.
When these plates are stacked, they are usually not organized according to their weight, but rather carelessly jumbled together with other plates of varying size. This frequently necessitates the removal of
several plates before obtaining the desirable weight.
The dumbbell rack suffers the same neglect. Many times, dumbbells and plates of specific weights are
nowhere to be found. Furthermore, the center is limited to two flat benches, two incline benches, and two barbells.
Considering these circumstances and cramped space, it is not uncommon to find lifters standing
impatiently for extended periods of time in the confined and cluttered dumbbell area, waiting for an opportunity to use the sparse equipment.
The fitness center attendants seem to sit around lazily chatting with their friends, occasionally
requesting over the loudspeaker that lifters re-rack their equipment. Perhaps they could exert enough
energy to actively monitor the weight room floor.
After all, that is their job.
These problems cannot, however, be justly attributed solely to the attendants. The disorganization is due largely in part to the lifters themselves, who fail to adhere to normal gym etiquette.
Better enforcement of the gym policies by weight room attendants, as well as more adherence to gym
etiquette would be the most promising solutions to this persisting problem.
The fitness center would also benefit greatly from an expansion project. In light of the University’s recent expenditure on the seemingly unnecessary D’Angelo Center, perhaps St. John’s monetary funds are being allocated for the wrong projects. The D’Angelo Center provides students with an additional dining area (which is already provided for in Marillac Hall) and a superfluously large and elaborately decorated study area (also available in St. Augustine Hall’s library).
The D’Angelo Center is of low priority in comparison to the much-needed renovation of the Fitness Center and other additions, such as an indoor pool and track. St. John’s also spends much too much money maintaining the meticulously-ordained landscaping about the campus. Though the beauty is appreciated, perennial flowers are not exactly conducive to a student’s intellectual or experiential growth.
Why is the University concerned with renovating the aesthetics of the campus while facilities such as the Fitness Center are left in a state of desolation? Students of this University would benefit highly from a more organized, better-maintained fitness center. In the meantime, students looking to stay fit will just have to make do.