After a cryptic teaser shared by the “OswegoFit” Instagram page, students on the SUNY Oswego campus were met with the news that fitness centers would  be opening. The Marano Campus Center Ice Arena was converted to accommodate fitness equipment for the campus community. By opening up this facility, SUNY Oswego takes a step forward in giving students a “normal” semester, or at least one that resembles it.

This is a good idea.

With COVID-19, the fitness centers have been closed, not allowing students to be able to go there to work out. I have personally never been to the fitness center before it closed, but I would imagine it is not a huge area of space. Putting equipment in the hockey rink would allow for things to be spread out more and for people to work out in a socially distanced way. Obviously, people would still have to wear masks and things should be sanitized more frequently, but it would still allow for people to work out. 

It would also be a good idea to limit the number of people allowed into the hockey rink. Even with all this extra space you still cannot be cramming people right next each other to work out. I am not someone who goes to an actual gym, so I do not know the limits that are put into place there, but since this is at a school fitness center, the limits might be different than at an actual gym. 

With increased testing on campus, positive COVID-19 cases are being caught earlier than last semester, and positive cases have remained relatively low. I do not think allowing students to work out, especially in such a big open area such as the hockey rink, would affect COVID-19 numbers in a negative way since it is not an activity that every student on campus will take part in. You are  not going to have every single SUNY Oswego student going to work out no matter what the location is. If the capacity of students is limited to a certain number, that would make it easier too.

 Overall I think if COVID-19 numbers are not increasing on campus, the new fitness area in the Marano Campus Center will provide a positive space for students to better their mental and physical health. In my opinion, we need to do everything we can to keep everyone on campus safe and stop the spread of COVID-19, but we also cannot close things forever and need to figure out ways in which places such as the fitness center can open up again in the safest way possible.

Abigail Connolly | The Oswegonian