Unsanitary. Broken. Ineffective.
These are the words the FUSA Senate used to describe the weight room in its proposal to Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino concerning possible renovations for the Recreation Complex.
The Rec Plex, especially the weight room in the lower level, has been an area of concern for students who use it frequently, due to its unkempt state and run-down equipment.
“[Director of the Rec Plex] Mr. [Phil] Palumbo does not consider the weight room and its flaws a top priority within the Rec Plex,” read one line of Senate Resolution S44-09, an emergency bill presented to the Senate that was passed unanimously on April 6, 2008.
“We first met with Palumbo,” said Sen. Michael Bennett ’10, who sponsored the resolution along with fellow sophomore senators Nazar Kamenchenko and Michael Macindoe.
“He has been supportive and admitted that there is only so much he can do with the money he is allotted from the school,” said Bennett.
Palumbo, who was unable to be reached for this article, had commented in a Mirror article earlier this year about his reluctance to push for more money because of students’ lack of concern for the weights.
“Over $50,000 has gone into that room since 2003,” he said. “The kids who use it, abuse it on a daily basis and rarely make the effort to keep it in order.”
Vice President for Administrative Services and Director of Student Affairs Mark Reed was not able to be present for the meeting with FUSA senators, but said the University has taken into account the age of Alumni Hall.
“Any observer will notice the age and condition of Alumni Hall,” he said. “It is an issue the University very much wants to address.”
Pellegrino met with Senate Chair Dan Lamendola ’09 as well as the three senators who proposed the resolution, and addressed their list of concerns. The list included the age of the machines, the lack of hand sanitizer, broken water fountains and damage to some of the equipment bars.
“Many of the problems are not difficult fixes [pins, sanitizers, stickers, etc] and can be addressed, as Mr. Palumbo already communicated to the students,” Pellegrino said. “In terms of the weight room equipment, they gave me a good sense of what the current needs are during our discussion.”
He added that the University is in the process of detailing costs for the items on the list, with the problem largely a budgetary matter. He also said Palumbo is a “staunch advocate” for student recreation and the intramural program and is doing a great job with the limited budget he is allocated.
Despite the fact that the Rec Plex is crowded on a daily basis, students are not happy with its condition and they have suggested it be either renovated or completely remodeled.
“That place is basically a pit,” said Chris Melcher ’11. “There is mold on the ceiling, the weights are never racked and it is really dirty.”
“The weight room smells terrible for one,” said Charlie Grover ’10. “Everything necessary for a good weight room is missing from that one.”
FUSA President Jeff Seiser ’10 agreed that the weight room is in need of some major improvements.
“The senators who proposed this bill did their research with and then came to the senate floor,” he said. “After the resolution was passed, the senators did a great job of bringing the issue to the appropriate administrators immediately.”
Even with the recent action taken by FUSA, students believe the weight room’s current condition is terrible, and that something should be done the near future.
“I’m there every day and every time I go I think how bad it needs to be improved,” said Jason Meneses ’11.
“The administration needs to start soon because that place needs a lot of work.”
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