The other day I walked into McNiff Fitness Center hoping to get a quick cardio session in. I had to study for my midterms and only had 30 minutes to spare. All of the cardio machines were full. When I went over to the free weight section of McNiff to do free weights in replacement of the cardio I originally wanted to do, all of the benches were full and there was hardly any room to breathe.
This is a familiar situation for many of the students at The University of Tampa who wish to workout during normal hours of the day. The only solutions available to those who do not wish to invest in a costly gym membership is waking up at 7:15 in the morning or going late at night in order to workout in a less crowded environment. The only real solution is that UT needs to build a new fitness center.
Rumors have circulated in the past of UT wishing to build a new fitness center later down the road once other construction has been completed. Nevertheless, the time to build a new fitness center is now. There is a legitimate passion for fitness on UT’s campus that is not being properly fostered. Campus Recreation does a fantastic job in organizing intramurals for students, hosting various fitness classes on campus, and many more things to promote fitness on campus.
Campus Recreation and the students of UT deserve a facility that reflects the passion for personal fitness that is prevalent throughout campus. The situation mentioned above is not one that students should be faced with if they are actively trying to lead a healthier lifestyle.
Understandably, any type of construction project requires the funding to do so. I do not have any solutions for how to go about securing the funding, but I am simply describing the need for such a recreation center. The university could use a new fitness center for a variety of purposes other than simply offering a place for students to workout. One idea is there could be a smoothie bar or a café in the new fitness center, which would offer another food option on campus. Also, if the fitness center is large enough to accommodate non-UT students, then UT could charge membership fees and use the money to support Campus Recreation’s endeavors. Ultimately, the students and the university deserve a new fitness center to help further foster the passion for fitness on campus. The strengthened passion for fitness will not only create a healthier campus environment, but it will also create a happier one..
J.P. Haney can be reached at johnpatrick.haney@spartans.ut.edu.