Second News Story

Pause. Sigh. Brake. Pause. Sigh. Brake. This is repeatedly what happens to student Matt Hoagland when he drives to the Student Recreation Center every day.
Hoagland has a New Year’s Resolution to go to the Student Recreation Center. The problem is, so do many other students. Hoagland expresses his frustration with the lack of parking and the crowdedness of the facility.
“It takes a long time to find a spot at the rec center, and even when I do get in,most of the machines are taken,” he said. Hoagland said that he chooses the times that he goes to the Student Recreational Center in regards to when he thinks the fewest people are going to be there. “After nine at night is usually a safe time to go,” he said.
The Student Recreational Center is a rather new and high class facility where many students work out. With a large student population, it is fully equipped with racquetball courts, elliptical machines, stationary bikes, a full length pool and a large hot tub, to name a few. However, many students are starting to get very frustrated with the crowdedness of the Student Recreational Center.
“Parking is bad, I can never find a machine, and even the pool is full. Every time I go I have to share a swimming lane with someone else,” said junior Kolleen Carlson. “I have been so frustrated with the parking that I have started to just walk there when I go.”
Carlson went on to state that when she had gone to the Student Recreational Center earlier in the day, it took ten minutes to navigate through the traffic so her boyfriend could drop her off.
When students get lucky and do find parking, there is another problem that awaits them: the parking ticket. Junior Julie Carson parked at the Student Recreational Center when the machine for buying parking passes was broken. “The machine was broken, so I figured that they would not check and would not issue parking tickets. I came back to my car to find a twenty-dollar ticket,” said Carson.
It was thought that perhaps the business at the Student Recreational Center was due to all of the students with New Years Resolutions. Either students are sticking to their resolutions, or something will need to be done to accommodate the rise in students visiting the Student Recreational Center.
Student Recreational Center employee Josh Goudge said, “When it comes to the number of people attending there are always changes. There are definite patterns to our patron counts we take every hour.” Goudge went on to say that, “People increase attendance before and after breaks as well as during warmer weather.”
When asked if there were any plans to expand the Student Recreational Center to accommodate all the students, Goudge said that there may be plans in the future. “There is talk of plans for expansion of the Rec Center, out to the east to accommodate more patrons and equipment. There is nothing formal, however, and the capital planning has no plans to fund such an expansion as far as I know.”
“We are happy to see as many as possible, even though it means waiting a bit for equipment because we love to encourage active, healthy living for all,” said Goudge.