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SGA proposes new student recreational establishment
Tawana Butler
Issue date: 10/12/06 Section: News
Source: The Herald

 

Lacey Hawkins, vice president of SGA, emphasizes the need for a new physical fitness building as senator Lauren Ford looks on Tuesday during the SGA meeting.

Nothing affects students more than having to pay more money. This may be occurring now that the Student Government Association has introduced a resolution to build a new Student Recreational Facility.

The committee for this proposal argued that the current facility, the HPESS, is over 30 years old and was built for the sole purpose of academic use. The building's fitness facilities are limited and the Fitness Club, located in the Student Union, is not large enough for the entire ASU population.

According to the resolution, funds from the state do not fund auxiliary buildings. As a result, an increase in the Student Union fee would fund the construction and operational costs for the new Student Recreational Center. This increased fee would still make ASU financially competitive among competing colleges.

The new facility would be located where the old Delta Hall once stood. "We wouldn't have to worry about parking, because it's already there," SGA Vice President Lacey Hawkins said, "We also wouldn't have to worry about leveling the ground, because this has already been done."

Inside of this facility there will be a fitness center. Not only will be there be an outdoor swimming pool, but there will also be an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool as well. Two large dance studios, similar to those in the Student Union, will be installed. In addition, there will be basketball and racquetball courts, meeting and locker rooms and an indoor track.

Faculty and staff members will be eligible to purchase a membership to the recreational center that will allow them usage of everything the building has to offer. Not only that, there will be jobs available for students. There will be a need for lifeguards.

Student workers will be needed in the Fitness and Recreational centers and for intramurals.

If the resolution is passed, the student union fee will increase $5 per credit hour to fund the facility, beginning in the fall of 2007. At that time, senior students may voluntarily pay this fee in the spring semester of 2007 in order to obtain a lifetime membership to the recreational facility. After the completion of the building, the fee will then increase again by $2 per credit hour for operational purposes. Students will be paying an additional $7 to fund the new recreational facility.

Not all members of SGA were for this change. "I am not backing this up," Senator Anthea Horn said. Horn feels that students are being asked to spend too much money. "The Student Union (when built) was supposed to be the glory of all glories," Horn said. She feels that students should use this facility as well as the current HPESS.

According to the committee, at the time when the HPESS was built, there was an old fieldhouse across the street from the HPESS, which held all recreational and intramural sports. That building was deemed unfit and was eventually torn down.

All of these activities were then transferred to the HPESS, which is not large enough to host the current and future student population.

Overall, SGA feels that this would serve as a great recruitment tool for ASU.

Senators have two weeks to get out and talk with fellow students, to see how they feel about this issue. The proposal has been tabled until the next meeting.