Billiards room to move for new fitness class
The billiards room in the Nelson Fieldhouse at USU may be turned into a cross-fit class room come Fall semester and members of the billiards club and instructors for the course say enrollment will fall if the pool tables are moved off campus.
Chris Crook, the treasurer of the billiards club, said as of now the plans are to move the billiards courses to the Cache Valley Fun Park because a cross-fit class is going to be taught in the current billiards room.
Kevin Kobe, director of campus recreation, said he hasn’t heard of anything being finalized, although negotiations with the Fun Park are ongoing. He said because of the success of the Fun Fit Forever program, there is a need for added space.
Crook said the majority of students he has talked to say they probably won’t be enrolling in billiards classes if they are moved to the Fun Park. He said students take the course because they have breaks in between classes and it is close on campus.
“If they go to the Fun Park I bet we wouldn’t see more than a third of the students. They are taking the class because they can spend the time to get to the Fieldhouse, not the Fun Park,” Crook said.
Lee Stevens, general manager of the Fun Park, said during the day the billiards tables are usually slow so it will have “minimal effect on the customers.” He said pool tables will be available to customers during class time depending on enrollment numbers.
Jacob Wolim, a sophomore and member of a billiards course, said it isn’t as accessible to students since they would have to worry about finding a way to get down there for class.
“They are basically eliminating the club, I know that isn’t their intention but that is what they are doing,” Wolim said. “In a year or two there are just not going to be enough students that are willing to go down there.”
Crook said the billiards courses bring in money to the university, and moving the class would not be financially positive. He said there are about 320 students currently enrolled and with a $50 course fee, the university brings in about $16,000 per semester. He said with an enrollment decrease, and having to pay the Fun Park to have the class, USU will just not be making as much as it has in the past.
The main goal at this point is to find a new place for the pool tables on campus, Crook said.
“There is no way we can keep this room. Our goal now is to find somewhere to have the class that is still on campus. We want to keep the tables on campus for the P.E. department, the billiards club and the student body as a whole,” Crook said.
Mike McIntyre, a certified billiards instructor, said the trick will be to find a building and department that would be willing to house the pool tables in one of their buildings. Crook said they have been talking to a few different people and have a few places in mind, but it is just in the early stages of planning.
“There are still a lot of people we need to talk to to figure all of this out,” he said.
McIntyre said those in charge “decided to take the easy road” and move to the Fun Park because there are already pool tables there. He said the majority of the feedback he has gotten from students has been negative.
McIntyre said he has heard the pool tables might be distributed throughout campus housing and will only be available to residents.
Crook said along with students taking classes for fun, members of the billiards club will be inconvenienced as well. He said as of right now, they are practicing for free because the room is paid for by student fees, but if they have to go to the Fun Park to practice, any kind of fee to use tables will be more than what they are spending now. He also said the tables are different at the Fun Park so it won’t be very helpful to practice on those tables.
“As a club it isn’t good for us because we are trying to train for tournaments. If we have to pay it will hurt because we won’t be able to practice as much as we do right now,” he said
Crook said he is going to start a petition Friday or Monday where students can come sign in the billiards room if they are interested. He said their Facebook group, USU Billiards, is another way students can get involved or help in any way.
Earlier this year, the Billiards Club petitioned the administration following the removal of two billiards table to make office room in the Fieldhouse.
– megan.b@aggiemail.usu.edu