Gionna Bean, Opinion Editor
Student Entrance to Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center – Photo by Gionna Bean
The Weight Room in the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center has been the center of much attention on campus lately. The room’s facelift at the onset of the Fall semester received rave reviews from faculty and students. However, the updates to the room also came with updated hours of operation.
Fitness Center hours of operation (active as of Aug. 19, 2024 according to the Sturrus Sports and Fitness Center page on the Aquinas website):
Monday/Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday/Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Saturday/Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Open lift times:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday/Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. & 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Open lift times are the only hours when non-athletes are guaranteed to have time to use the equipment without having to share the space with sports teams and classes. This leaves very small periods in which a non-athlete student can workout in peace.
These short hours have left many non-athletes frustrated. Although the weight room is still available when teams are working out, it can be hard to find space.
“Aquinas is a very small college,” freshman Lorelai Behling said, “I know a lot of larger colleges and universities have multiple spaces for students to access gyms and weight rooms and such, but we don’t have that here, so I imagine it’s difficult to work around the athletes.”
Weight room in upper Sturrus – Photo by Gionna Bean
“We use maybe five squat racks and some space by the free weights and occasionally some studio space as well,” said freshman Dailey Jogan, a member of the AQ Swim and Dive.
Some non-athletes don’t even bother trying to go to the weight room. A couple, who wished to remain anonymous to avoid backlash from athletes, expressed annoyance with the system.
“If the gym was open earlier, I would go,” one student said. “It is open at weird times. I do not want to be there when the athletes are,” another said.
Equipment in the weight room – Photo by Gionna Bean
The times may not be opportune for all students, but with around 70% of the student population being athletes, non-athletes are outnumbered. With 30 intercollegiate varsity sports teams, it can only be expected that athletes will be in the weight room often for training.
Junior Carson LePage offers a potential option for non-athletes. “If you’re already coming in and working out while our class is going on, why not just join the class. It’s not a difficult class. It helps get your workouts in nice and early in the morning, and it’s a good way to start your day,” LePage said, “All we do is a class warm up for the first ten minutes then you lift till 9:20 p.m. I’m in the 8-9:20 p.m. session but there are three sessions you can take.”
While weight room hours are not likely to change anytime soon, these options could provide non-athletes with the space they need to stay fit.
The Saint 