CMU gyms neglected and underfunded

Gym facilities at CMU are one of those things that almost everyone using has complaints with, but the effort required to complain to the proper channels likely outweighs any possible benefits. I recently took the time to complain to the proper channels and found out a good deal about the athletics situation.

The problems with the University Center gym and Skibo gym cover a range of issues: the gyms are overcrowded, there is an insufficient number of machines, and some equipment is old and frequently in need of repair.

If you walk into the UC weight room, there is often a line of people waiting to use the treadmills. There are only five treadmills in the UC gym, and they are almost constantly in use. There is one treadmill in Skibo Gym, but it is sometimes broken. This total of six treadmills is terribly inadequate considering that CMU has no indoor track and Pittsburgh winter weather is harsh enough to intimidate even the hardiest of runners. CMU has over 8,000 people with access to the gyms and six treadmills is not nearly enough to serve a population of that size.

According to Donna Morosky, the director of fitness & health, the line-item budget for repairs and new equipment in Skibo gym and the UC is $5000. This meager sum is intended to cover all repairs and equipment purchases for the year. Additional money is sometimes used, but it needs to be specially allocated from the Athletics Department.

Skibo gym has ancient equipment and very disorganized dumbbell sets. While the older equipment, some of which was purchased as long as 25 years ago according to Morosky, still serves its purpose adequately, it gives the gym several undesirable stigmas.

Among those who avoid Skibo Gym, it contributes to sentiments such as “that place is scary,” and “Skibo is old and ugly.” Among those who do use Skibo Gym, the old equipment is partly responsible for the mistreatment of the equipment by some gym users. When equipment is new and doesn't look like it's been through World War II, people feel an obligation to respect it.

“I went to an undergrad school with an awesome gym. Coming to CMU is kind of depressing when looking at the exercise facilities,” wrote Jeremy Shaffer, the Graduate Student Assembly vice-president of campus affairs, in an email to me.

Several people, including Shaffer, have suggested converting Danforth Lounge in the UC into an additional exercise room. This would relieve much of the overcrowding in the UC weight room, and allow the department to purchase new equipment. It would be an ideal location – it's right next to the existing weight room and provides ample space. This would also substitute for last year's plans to build a gym in the UC basement, which failed because of conflict over whether we would actually want to be relegated to the basement.

“In the original plans of the UC, Danforth Lounge was part of the recreation space,” said Bill Elliott, vice-president of Enrollment. Too bad we didn't respect the intentions of the UC architects. I urge students to support this idea and push the administration to use Danforth Lounge for athletics space.

According to Hugh Marshall, the equipment manager at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), they are currently doing a complete renovation of their weight room. In their aerobics room, they have 30 cardio machines - which exceeds the number CMU has. CWRU only has six treadmills – comparable to CMU's number - but they also have a six lane indoor track, which has the capacity to fill the role of at least ten treadmills.

Many schools of CMU's size have vastly larger and more modern gyms. Admittedly, these are often schools with larger endowments or schools that place more of a priority on athletics. Nevertheless, a little work on the part of students and administration could noticeably improve CMU's facilities.

In Skibo weight room there are usually 30 to 40 dumbbells scattered on the floor all around the room - making it very difficult to find the one you need. Partly, students are to blame for not returning the weights.

To those who don't return their weights, all I have to say to you is: You're not in high school anymore; you don't have your mommy to pick up after you. Stop pretending your tuition money gives you the right to mistreat the gym, and start picking up after yourself.

Despite student laziness, there are other reasons why such disorganization happens at Skibo Gym but few other gyms. Currently, there are no signs posted reminding users to return weights. Furthermore, the weight rack is extremely old and rudimentary; it is a very inadequate means of organizing the weights. There is also the space issue – the weight area does not have enough space for people to use the weights, which results in having them scattered all over the room.

The Athletics Department staff picks up and racks all the weights in the room once per month. This is not often enough. Ideally, it needs to be done once per day, or at least once per week. Skibo needs an equipment attendant who is responsible for weight room organization and other daily maintenance tasks.

Theft is a rampant problem in Skibo Gym. Weight plates and dumbbells are regularly stolen. According to Morosky, the stereo boombox in the Skibo body shop was stolen after only a month, despite being heavy-duty bolted and secured to the wooden shelving.

A few cheap security cameras would serve as a strong deterrent to theft. In my opinion cameras in weight and aerobics rooms are completely acceptable and pose a minimal intrusion upon privacy.

In all fairness, despite the gyms' problems, it could be worse. Although there haven't been many equipment purchases or building renovations over the past three years, there are now a couple projects starting up.

There are plans underway to renovate the Skibo weight room floor through a special allocation of funds. The new floor will be a seemless poured rubber flooring which is durable and superior to the previous flooring.

The Athletics Department also recently made a special $24,000 purchase of new equipment which will be distributed between the UC gym and Skibo gym.

A long-term possibility for addressing the funding shortage is to institute a gym recreation fee. Many schools already have athletics and fitness fees of about $60. We already pay an activities fee, dorm activity fee, and Port Authority charge, so would a paltry 0.2% increase in our tuition and fees really matter? Not really, when compared to the annual 5% increase of tuition.

An athletic facilities fee would provide a steady income stream and allow immediate and dramatic improvements to the gym facilities.

Regardless of where the funds come from, it is clear that the facilities need more money to be used towards purchasing new equipment and expanding the available space. The more people that speak out, the more likely the administration is to do something about this situation. Take a few minutes to contact Bill Elliott or Donna Morosky and tell them your opinion on the gym facilities.

John Davin is a senior in computer science, and misses the US Navy gym in Newport, Rhode Island. He asks that you email him with your ideas at jdavin@cmu.edu.