University holds safety standards with new rec center

Where there is great risk, there is great responsibility.

With the opening of the Aggie Recreation Center, Utah State University brought its first high-risk facility to campus, and this means the university had to take extra steps for safety.

When students want to climb at the new Aggie Recreation Center, the first thing they must do is sign a waiver, which is standard at universities with this kind of facility, said Dan Galliher, the climbing wall coordinator for outdoor programs at USU.

But this only opens up access to the bouldering wall. In order to use the top-rope area, students have to pass a belay test so they and a partner can climb together.

“We’re sticklers for our testing standards,” Galliher said. “They’ve really got to be perfect to pass.”

In addition to tough tests, Galliher said they set routes in the lead-climbing area to make it safer.

“The lead-climbing area is set to Euro standards, which means the bolts are closer together,” he said. “It makes it significantly safer.”

While they aimed to make this rock wall as safe as possible, there are some precautions outdoor programs did not have take since it is indoor wall.

“It’s high risk, but it’s different risk,” Galliher said.

Even though helmets are required on outdoor programs’ trips, they are not required in the ARC. This is because helmets are used primarily to protect from falling rock, which is not a problem inside.

“I don’t feel like it’s necessary,” said Gabe Ogden, a junior in mechanical engineering who climbs both inside and outside. “You’re not having big falls and there’s not really anything above.”

Even though outdoor programs didn’t add what some deem unnecessary, they still take measures in the gym and on the cliff that most students don’t practice on their own.

Peter Riser, a sophomore in economics and finance, has only climbed inside, but he said he is not sure he would use a helmet if he were to climb outside.

“If I felt like it was dangerous, maybe,” Riser said.

Galliher said even though he doesn’t always see students practicing these safety regulations when they go out on their own, the university is taking responsibility for these students, and that makes it different.

“We got to stack the odds in their favor and our favor as well,” he said.

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