When students return to campus fall quarter, some might be disappointed to find the Cal Poly Recreation Center closed.
Director of Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) Programs Marcy Maloney said the closure was necessary to ensure that the new, expanded center will open in January 2012, and will last until construction is completed.
“It was a very hard decision to make, but the ultimate goal was to get it done on time,” Maloney said.
In the meantime, the PRE-REC Fitness Facility is located in building 19, across the street from the Recreation Center and is open for student use.
This facility center contains Cybex Eagle workout machines, treadmills, ellipticals and stationary bikes but will not contain free weights.
A maximum of 65 people can use the facility at one time. There is concern among some members of ASI that it will reach maximum capacity, forcing people to wait for someone to exit before they can enter.
“I’m assuming it’s going to be very crowded,” Maloney said.
Students are also worried about the size of the PRE-REC center.
“I heard it was going to be pretty crowded,” civil engineering junior Michael Falconey said. “I got a gym membership off campus, because I wasn’t going to deal with that.”
Philosophy senior Karen Mesrobian is chair of the University Union Advisory Board, which has compiled data from students regarding the Recreation Center expansion. Mesrobian says she knows it can be frustrating for students that need to use the PRE-REC center, but feels ASI is doing their best to keep construction on schedule and still offer services to students.
“I really hope students can appreciate we’re doing our best to give them opportunities while we’re doing other things on campus,” Mesrobian said.
The Recreation Center expansion project was voted on in 2008 and passed with 75 percent student approval. Construction began in fall 2009.
“We were surprised how many students approved it,” Maloney said. “It was overwhelming support.”
Part of the vote involved a $65 increase in student fees per quarter. That fee will take effect in winter 2012. This will pay for not only the construction, but also the upkeep of the new center.
“The fee increase is worth it to me,” business administration junior Kyler Niner said. “I’m definitely going to be using it more than the old rec center.”
The main concern of students who used the existing center, Maloney said, was the lack of a weight room.
The new center will have triple the amount of space for weights as the old one, totaling approximately 21,000 square-feet.
The expansion will also include one studio for spin classes, as well as two additional studios. There will also be a Multi Activity Center (MAC), which seats 730 people and will be used for small events such as movies and concerts. Outside users will find beach volleyball courts, a leisure pool and areas to barbecue.
“It doesn’t feel like a traditional recreational center,” Maloney said. “It has a lot of positive energy.”
Part of creating this positive energy involved adding a level of comfort for all users of the Recreation Center, regardless of workout experience, Maloney said. The expansion includes three separate weight rooms, each tailored to a different weight lifting experience.
“I’m really excited to get all students included in some kind of recreation,” Maloney said. “We want everyone to feel comfortable there.”
A policy banning sleeveless shirts at the Recreation Center was one effort to create a more comfortable recreational experience. However, a large number of students filed complaints about the policy, and ASI is reviewing it.
“We had people coming in almost every day raising the issue of the cutoff sleeve policy, so that’s definitely an issue we’re aware of,” Mesrobian said. “We’re looking at options and trying to find a solution that will work for everyone.”
One of the most noticeable changes coming to the Recreation Center is the system of entering the facility.
At the old Recreation Center, students and staff swiped their PolyCard to gain access. Now users will insert their hand into a HandKey access system.
According to its website, the HandKey system “utilizes fieldproven hand geometry technology that maps and verifies the size and shape of a person’s hand all in less than one second.”
Users of the Recreation Center will need to register their hand with ASI prior to their first trip to the center. Maloney is confident it will not be a problem processing students. ASI scanned hands during Student Orientation and Registration (SOAR) and Week of Welcome (WOW) orientation programs and averaged four minutes to process one student.
As part of the HandKey system, users will be given a unique 7-digit number that they will be required to enter before accessing the Recreation Center. There will be an Internet kiosk next to the HandKey lines so users can look up their number on their email if they forget it.
Maloney said that the Handkey system will remove the problem of students forgetting their PolyCard when they want to use the Recreation Center.
ASI will hire approximately 200 new student employees to staff the Recreation Center. It will accept applications through September 30. Training for the new employees is scheduled for December.
The PRE-REC center is open 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and Sunday.