On August 31, just prior to the start of the school year, Athletic Director Sue Johnson sent out an email to the school community announcing the new schedule for the Fitness Center. This new schedule marked a large departure from the comparatively flexible schedule of the previous school year.
Johnson initially wrote that for this year, on Mondays and Fridays, the gym would be open from 2:30-7:00 p.m. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, the Fitness Center would be open from 2:30-3:30 p.m. which would be followed by a designated block from 3:30-5:30 p.m. for PE classes. After the alloted time, there would be another open period from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on these three nights. On Saturdays, the gym would see its open hours from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., and Sundays from 2:00-6:00 p.m. Adults in the community would be allowed to use the facility outside of open hours as long as the SHAC was open.
Also included in this email from Johnson was a list of updated policies for the Fitness Center. All students who wanted to use the gym would be supervised during their designated open hours by Strength and Conditioning Coach Jen Brickey. Additionally, students using the gym on weekends would need to come in pairs.
The general reaction among the community to the new schedule and policies for the Fitness Center was negative. Students felt that the new rules were overly constraining and that they did no't accommodate their ability to consistently use the facility. Luckily, the athletic staff took note of this and hastily released an updated schedule for the Fitness Center.
Announced by Johnson on September 21, and put into effect the following day, the updated Fitness Center hours provided a number of additional windows for open gym time. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the facility is now open from 7:30-9:00 a.m. in addition to the previously existing times. On Wednesdays, the gym is now also open from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Open hours on Saturdays and Sundays are now from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 3:00-6:00 p.m., in replacement of the original times. The Saturday and Sunday schedule also applies to school closure dates when houses are still open. Mondays and Fridays remain unchanged, and the new Fitness Center policies are still in effect.
The updated schedule for the Fitness Center is certainly a welcome change, and it is commendable of the athletic staff to have responded to feedback and made adjustments so quickly. Students are grateful as they feel that their ability to access the gym has been made considerably easier, but some are hopeful that the schedule may be changed further at some point in the future to allow for even more flexibility, as the updated hours are still more restrictive than in years prior.