Working out is part of many college students’ routines, but those workouts may be a bit more difficult to come by at Point Loma Nazarene University. Possibly the biggest complaint from students on campus at PLNU is about the gym situation. In fact, many upperclassmen who have cars decide to get their exercise in at places off-campus, such as EOS or LA Fitness. However, the spaces available to work out for students could be improving sometime soon.
One of the biggest issues with the weight room on campus is the size. It’s tucked away under the entrance of Golden Gymnasium and is approximately the size of three dorm rooms, which many believe isn’t nearly big enough to suit the needs of a college campus with over 3,000 undergraduate students. Because of how small the space is, it can be claustrophobic for those trying to get their workout done in there.
First-year kinesiology major Kai Kaneko said, “It’s kind of a bummer how small it is. I feel like it definitely discourages people from actually wanting to work out because people may not feel comfortable working out next to people in such a close vicinity.”
The hours in which the gym is operational is a factor that contributes to the foot traffic in the weight room. As of right now, the gym is open Sunday-Thursday from 7-11 p.m., so it’s in high demand during those four hours of the day.
Another one of the complaints with the weight room is the equipment, both the amount of equipment and the lack of quality. In the weight room, there are five squat racks, a few benches and some dumbbells. At one point, there were numerous pieces of equipment that were either broken or damaged. Nathan Shoup, ASB director of student relations, used to work for intramurals and at the weight shed. He recalled a scary situation that occurred during his time at the weight shed.
“I was doing incline dumbbell push press and the bench collapsed on me, and then two days later the bench collapsed on another guy using 80 pound dumbbells,” Shoup said.
Now, the equipment is inspected more often than before, but it still isn’t exactly top of the line.
Because of these complaints, a new fitness center is in the works. PLNU is in the process of “master planning” the entire campus, and a new fitness center is the top priority of this planning, according to Vice President of University Services Jeff Bolster.
“We are actively programming and looking into what a new fitness center would and could look like. The planning and preparing for that should be done by the end of this semester,” he said.
To finish the planning process, Bolster said the school is trying to compromise with all departments of the school to fulfill everyone’s needs to the best of its ability. An architectural firm will be coming within the next few weeks to look at the athletic complex to see what is possible and what they are working with.
Assuming this goes through, this could make the workout situation more convenient for everyone involved. Students would have access to a larger workout area with nicer equipment and better hours. The athletic teams at PLNU will also have more space to utilize, possibly leading to a day in which teams and students can work out at the same time without getting in each other’s way.
Overall, the situation seems hopeful for PLNU students who are currently dismayed at the gym situation and wish there were better gym equipment and hours in which they can get their daily exercise on-campus.
Written By: Cade Michaelson
