The highly anticipated opening of the newly-renovated Ram Fit Center was something that people were excited about. The new gym had been rebranded with a modern aesthetic, twice the amount of original equipment as the old Ram Fit, including a new yoga studio, more open space and even state of the art water dispensers. After the return from Christmas break, everyone couldn’t wait to use the new facilities. Until that wasn’t the case at all.

On Jan. 3, Fordham Public Safety announced that all the fitness facilities, including the Lombardi Center, would be closed and exclusively for the use of student-athletes until Jan. 31. The logic behind this was somewhat unclear, and the decision itself irrational given the fact that all of the student-athletes workout in the Varsity gym, which is reserved for student-athletes only. 

By the time the calendar turned to February, the new Ramfit had finally opened its doors to the general student body. But immediately, Fordham threw all sorts of restrictions on users of the new gym that included showing a completed vital check, signing up for the gym on the IMLeagues app to reserve a spot for one hour, limiting only 75 people per session and, of course, requiring masks.

Using the IML app to sign up for the gym is an absolute waste of time and effort given the fact that there are a number of issues with the app. For starters, the app constantly crashes due to the fact the spots were, and still are, hard to sign up for because everyone signs up at the same times each day. Sometimes the app will show that nobody has signed up for a 2 p.m. session, for example, then when you register, the app tells you the session is full. 

Then comes the check-in process when you arrive, which is equally as annoying as signing up for the session time. When you arrive before the start of your session, you have to stand in line and wait about 10-15 minutes while the guards make you scan your ID and then confirm your reservation on their computer.

This has continued to the present day, where Fordham students have to file in the cramped hallway outside the new entrance of the gym. This, of course, has people growing tiresome and creates a fire hazard.

By the time March rolled around, Fordham had made masks optional, and most Fordham students don’t wear them unless they are asked to. This includes in Ram Fit, where there are few, if any, people wearing masks.

But the signups have remained throughout, capacity eventually being expanded to up to 200 people in the gym, still with time limits that got extended, and the gym closing for 30 minutes in between sessions for cleaning, despite the common gym courtesy to clean all the equipment when you are done using it.

The pandemic is essentially over, nobody is wearing masks regularly anymore, and the protocols at Ram Fit are ridiculous, especially considering the fact you get a time limit at the gym. If Fordham is to remove the signups and reduce a crowded hallway, prevent more headaches and let the gym be a more free flowing place, now is the time. Let the students get back to being students.

Thomas Aiello, FCRH ’23, is a journalism major from Allendale, N.J.