LETTER: Students need better workout facilities
Dear Editor,
In the paper today, you note that the U.S. Surgeon General recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise each day for a healthy individual. Utah State students obviously listen. Every day when I go over to the HPER or the Fieldhouse, I see students eagerly using the weights and machines. But, let’s be honest. The school’s athletic facilities are woefully inadequate for a school of 20,000 students. Many high schools have better facilities. There are a total, (let me repeat that) A total of four Stairmasters for students to use (one in the HPER and three in the Fieldhouse) and two stationary bicycles (one each in the HPER and Fieldhouse). This is assuming none of the machines are under repair because of overuse. At busy times, you cannot even enter the weight room because there are so many people. Once inside the weight room, one notices that the weights and the machines are out-of-date. The university has promised a new on-campus facility. Students passed a referendum last year to go ahead with the facility. But with pressure from the local business community, those plans seem to be on hold. Somehow, private businesses (including, but not limited to, the Sports Academy) have intimidated the university into putting off plans to build a new facility. The university is now “looking into the feasibility” of building a facility down by the Sports Academy (off-campus). What an outrage! Instead of the city and the business community recognizing that the university and students bring both prestige and money to Logan, they bully us. Worse is that the university has caved into the pressure. With or without the support of the local business community, this university needs a new athletic facility. Period. Everybody knows it, some people talk about it, the university has even promised it. Yet, no concrete plans are set. No ground is being broken. Our mediocre facilities reflect upon our university. In short, the university needs to step up and listen to the student body. Build it, and they most certainly will come.
Jesse T. Schreier