By Oscar Gonzalez/@originalgamer1
Walking back and forth from your vehicle at Main Campus won’t be the only way to burn calories when the long-awaited fitness center, supported by student fees, opens March 23.
Following two months of renovations, the Madla building will have its own fitness center. Students will have access to cardio and weight-training equipment along with lockers and showers.
The fitness center is the beginning of recreational sports director Art Olague’s plans for the university as recreational sports director.
Intramural sports start spring semester with club sports such as racquetball and soccer. A&M-San Antonio will partner with Palo Alto Community College to launch these sports.
Originally planned in February 2014, the fitness center was made possible by a budget of $244,809.47 collected from student fees.
The fitness center was formerly the first cafeteria at Main Campus. Recreational sports director Art Olague said that he has either met the budget or went slightly over.
“I think we’re right on the button,” said Olague. “If we’ve gone over, it’s probably not significant.”
Student fees will continue at the same amount of $100 per Fall and Spring semester and $50 for the summer semester.
He also plans to offer personal trainers for students for the fall 2015 semester. Students may receive an additional charge to offset the cost of hiring licensed trainers.
Allison Garcia, kinesiology senior and chief of staff to the study body president, originally brought the idea of an on-campus fitness center to the SGA whens she was a senator for the kinesiology program.
“I’m very excited that it’s finally opening,” Garcia said. “To actually show the students that this is the result of their fee and this is just the beginning, it’s a good first step.”
As a kinesiology major, Garcia has another reason to be excited about the new fitness center.
“There is such a high obesity rate in San Antonio,” she said. “My goal is to work in community development to have us living healthy lives and have healthy children.”
Students must present their student I.D. to use the center. Equipment includes two treadmills, two Arc Trainers, two exercise bikes, several weight training machines that focus on various parts of the body including a “jungle gym” and a rack of dumbbells. All the fitness equipment is from Cybex.
To celebrate the opening of the fitness center, there will be goodie bags for the first 50 students to come to the center at 10 a.m. and again at 3 p.m. The bags include a water bottle, lanyard and a personal towel.
