New athletic
building for students, mostly
Others
must pay to play, administrators say
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Joseph
Vasquez / The Collegian
Sparks fly as a worker trims metal on the west side of the West
Complex Tuesday. |
By Jenna Nielsen
The Collegian
Progress continues on the $17.6
million West Complex/Student Recreation Center at the Save Mart Center.
The two-story, 92,000 square-foot building is a recreational facility
designed for students and is scheduled to be completed in December. Director
Derek Walters said he expects the building to take occupancy late January.
The complex includes a 13,000 square-foot fitness center with cardiovascular
equipment and free weights for able-bodied and disabled students, Walters
said.
Other features include two racquetball courts, aerobic and dance studios,
a track, four full-size courts for intramural basketball, volleyball and
badminton, and shower and locker rooms.
“The recreation center will have more than your average gym,”
Walters said. “We plan on having over 50 pieces of cardiovascular
equipment, and there will be 18 TV’s in the weight and fitness area
with transmitters so you can tune your Walkman and listen.”
The building will also contain two educational components, the Lyles Center
for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Leon and Pete Peters Educational
Center.
The recreation center will be financed through a $49-per-semester fee
referendum passed by students in November of 2000, according to a FresnoStateNews.com
press release. Donors will finance the two academic centers.
Executive Director for Student Life Carolyn Coon said the fee increase
will not go into effect until next semester.
“[The referendum stipulated] we could not start charging students
until the semester the center opens,” Coon said.
The center is intended largely for student use and it will not be opened
up to the community, Walters said. He said eventually they may open up
use to faculty and staff members, but will require they pay an additional
fee.
“We want to have space available for drop-in recreation for students,”
he said. “The hope is that other groups will not impact the students’
ability to work out in there. The students voted for it and it’s
theirs,” he said.
Walters said other groups who want to use the facility will also have
to pay a fee.
Coon said she is concerned that time isn’t taken away from students,
but money needs to be made.
“If the basketball team wants to practice there, they will have
to pay,” Coon said. “We don’t want to get into a situation
where we have to raise fees again.”
To use the facility, students will need to bring their student ID card
and swipe it, Walters said.
Students will be given two chances to forget their card and still be allowed
to use the facilities. The third time students forget their ID card, they
will not be allowed to enter until they return with their card.
“We want students to bring their ID’s so we will mark it down
when they forget it and let them know they better bring it next time,”
Walters said
Senior engineering major Ryan Strength is looking forward to the opening
of the facility.
“I plan on working out there because it is right next to school,”
Strength said. “It’s convenient because you can go in between
classes and take a shower there.”
Sophomore Laurie Loeffler plans on using the recreation center because
she will already be paying for it through the fee increase.
“I’ll be paying for it whether I use it or not, so I might
as well work out there instead of paying for another gym membership,”
Loeffler said.
Walters said the hours the center will be open have not been determined
yet.
“We are trying to find out the time most students will use it,”
he said. “Right now we are thinking 6 a.m. to midnight during the
week and shorter hours on the weekend.”
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