This semester, the fitness centers on Oswego State’s campus are testing to see if expanded hours may help students get to the gym more often.
The centers, both Glimmerglass and Cooper, are now open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays. On Saturdays and Sundays, the centers will open at 9 a.m., closing at 8 p.m. on Saturday and 9 p.m. on Sunday.
The fitness centers were previously open from 7 a.m to 10 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
The new hours are only being tested at the moment and may be subject to further change as more information about how students use them is collected. Membership prices have not been increased for this semester.
“The expanded hours is only a pilot program as we will analyze usage and determine if we want to continue the expanded hours next year,” said Brian Wallace, the general manager for the Oswego Fitness Centers.
The experimental change comes almost a full year after Student Association passed a resolution requesting that Residence Life and Housing, the college department that oversees the fitness centers, consider expanding the hours to serve more students. The resolution based its conclusions on a survey filled out by Oswego State students. The survey got more than 200 responses, and 95 percent of the respondents, most of which were fitness center members, said they would like to see an extension to the fitness center’s hours.
Most respondents also agreed that having the centers open later, rather than earlier, would be preferable. The trial hours do both, by opening the centers earlier on weekends and later on weekdays.
“Now [the fitness centers are] giving students a better service, and that’s what it’s all about; that’s what SA is about,” said Omar van Reenen, SA president and the author of the original resolution passed by the senate.
The extended hours have led to new jobs for students on campus as well. Wallace said he needed to hire a few new staff members for the extended shifts.
Ruben Santana, an employee in Glimmerglass Fitness Center, said while he was hired before the extended hours were put in place, he is happy to see more hours being available for workers who want them.
Santana said while he has seen some nights with more activity, others still are not as busy.
“I think the issue is that the returning gym-goers are unaware that the times have been extended, and therefore don’t go if it gets too late,” Santana said. “There have been several times where people have been surprised when I’ve told them that the gym closes at 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday now.”
Photo by:
William Rogers | The Oswegonian
