By Michael Cavanaugh
Frustration over the insufficient resistance training space allotted to students in the RamFit Center will continue until the second semester of the 2014-2015 academic year, according to a recent announcement by the United Student Government (USG).
Rose Hill’s USG broke the news to its followers when it sent out a tweet from @USGrh on Oct. 17 which read, “Athletics: the new free weights space in the Lombardi Center will now open in January.”
However, David Roach, director of Athletics, assures the students and faculty members who were looking forward to the additional facilities that the delay is for good reason.
“We didn’t go with the less expensive, cheaper equipment,” said Roach. “When we went to order it, we could get the plates, dumbbells and bars whenever we wanted, but the racks are being custom-made and manufactured.”
Because the plates and dumbbells are relatively useless without a platform and rack, the Athletics Department decided to wait until the higher-end racks were manufactured and before opening the new space to the community.
“The equipment should be in by mid-to-late December,” continued Roach, “but we decided that with tests and finals it would make more sense to open it after break in January.”
Brandon Kim, FCRH ’15, expressed his mixed reaction to the news and the way that the situation has progressed.
“I am honestly not too concerned that the new gym opening is being postponed,” said Kim. “While I would have enjoyed using it this semester, I can’t say that I didn’t expect the late opening. Considering how the administration went about being irresponsible for [the exercise facilities] this semester, they really don’t have a standard to upkeep [in my opinion].”
Kim went on to express satisfaction with the reasoning behind the delay.
“[That being said], having nicer gear is always worth waiting for,” said Kim. “I look forward to using the new gym gear next semester.”
This delay comes shortly after the Athletics Department announced that additional free weight equipment would be added into the room above the squash courts in the Lombardi Center, a space that once held resistance machines, in late October, barring any unforeseen problems. The old machines, along with the equipment in the space that once acted as the main weight room for the university, were removed as renovations took place on the Lombardi Center’s outdated restrooms.
While the plans for the space above the squash courts are definite, the fate of the old weight room remains in question. As of now, it acts as the equipment room for the Athletics Department, after the bathroom renovations required the small equipment room adjacent to the Lombardi Field House to be repurposed.
“When they did the new bathrooms for Lombardi over, they had to take the equipment room away,” said Roach. “They’re now going to start construction on reconfiguring and giving us the equipment room back. Then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do with that space.”
Despite an apparent trend of disappointments for the community of fitness facility users, administration has solidified plans for the updated facilities, and the Rose Hill community can expect it to be open for use starting in the second semester.
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Michael Cavanaugh is the Assistant News Editor for The Fordham Ram.
