Excuses to avoid the gym have now become harder to come up with
in lieu of the recent expansion in hours of operation at the Wooden
Center.
The facility is now open from 5:30 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. Monday
through Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 7:45
p.m. Saturdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. Sundays.
“It’s nice to know I’ll be able to use the gym
at midnight if I feel like it,” fourth-year marine biology
student and avid racquetball player Mike Frederick said.
“Not too many people play at that time of night so I think
I’ll benefit more from the later hours on
Saturdays.”
Located in the heart of campus, the Wooden Center is home to
hundreds of cardiovascular and muscle-toning machines as well as
dozens of daily classes.
With over 4,000 entries daily, the Wooden Center is a popular
spot for students, employees and alumni of the university. By
having a broader range of hours to choose from during the day, the
Wooden Center is attempting to accommodate the schedules of all
users.
“At the end of the day, the goal is to meet the needs of
those who use the gym,” director of recreation Mick Deluca
said.
The hours were also extended to accommodate the over 1,000
additional students staying in the new on-campus housing
facilities.
“With the expansion in on-campus housing, the board
wrestled with the impacts,” Deluca said. “We came up
with the additional hours after listening to feedback directly from
our users.”
Not only have the hours changed, but for the first week of
school, classes ranging from yoga to dance will be offered free of
charge.
“The free classes are being offered for two main
reasons,” Deluca said. “One, a way to introduce new
hours and two, to couple on the excitement of Welcome Week.
“They will help users test the menu to see if a class is
something they are interested in.”
Although it is too early in the year to see the effects of the
shift in hours and free classes, the recreation staff is hopeful
that it will accomplish their goals.
Third-year psychology student Cindy Pinzon also appreciates the
option of late night workout hours.
“I don’t anticipate taking advantage of the earlier
opening time,” she said, “But I may make it to a free
class or two.”