By Michael Cavanaugh

Recently, students and faculty alike who regularly use the RamFit Center have experienced frustration in regard to the lack of space provided by the fitness facilities. A quick trip to the gym’s back room, where the free weights are closely-arranged in the narrow corridor, is all that one needs to understand the campus’ general attitude toward the current state of the fitness facilities.

“The current gym situation is not only inconvenient, but is highly unsafe,” said Brandon Kim, FCRH ’15. “Between the issues with the fire code forcing the students to cramp into a compact space, and the severe lack of equipment and poor equipment choices on the administration’s part, the gym is really not a place of self-betterment.”

Baggio Williams, FCRH ’15, shares Kim’s sentiments and disagrees strongly with the hasty manner in which the old gym was shut down.

“I am extremely saddened and upset that the old gym was closed and disappointed in the sneaky way in which it was done, during the summer when most students were not on campus and with no attempts made at garnering student support or approval before the decision was made,” said Williams.

In addition, Williams voices the general frustrations of those who try to perform some resistance training in the RamFit Center.

“I find the new gym to be a nightmare to work out in,” said Williams. Despite the claims that safety was one of the main impetuses behind the closing of the old gym, Williams also mentions the lack of safety in the RamFit Center’s free weight area.

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“Given the small size of the room, everyone who is exercising is in very close proximity to one another, which can be a recipe for an accident when dealing with free weights,” he explained. “Many times, I have had to dodge other people’s dumbbells from landing on my feet mid-exercise. This dense design is definitely not compatible with free weights.”

However, plans are in motion that may alleviate these feelings of frustration and complaints of unsafe conditions. The athletic department has designated the area of Lombardi Center situated above the squash courts. This room, which overlooks the squash courts, once housed an ample and varied array of resistance machines, which was a strong supplement to the free weights of the old university gym. Since its closure last year, a number of rumors have been circulating regarding how the university plans to use the now-empty room in Lombardi Center.

“We weren’t really sure what we were going to do with [that space],” said David Roach, director of intercollegiate athletics at Fordham University, “but it seems like the logical place because it has rubber floors and we’ll be able to put down platforms.”

Because the room previously contained resistance equipment and already has rubber floors, there is no need for any major renovations to take place; it is ready to receive the new equipment, for which the athletic department has placed an order.

“I had the strength and conditioning coach put together a list of what equipment would be needed,” explained Roach. “We’ve already ordered the equipment and expect to have it in place by the end of October.”

While Kim believes that the administration should have foreseen these issues and acted accordingly, rather than subjecting the students to this unfavorable situation until the end of October, he is optimistic about the future of the university’s facilities.

“I think the athletic department’s decision to install additional equipment is the proper decision, as it actually takes into consideration the student population’s needs and safety,” said Kim.

He continued, “I look forward to the installation of the additional free weight equipment in Lombardi Center, and I think it is a step in the right direction.”

Because of the number of smith machines present in the RamFit Center, the athletic department’s focus is on procuring free weights, which it hopes will alleviate the strain on the center’s lifting area.

“The RamFit Center takes care of the need for [smith] machines,” said Roach. “We believe that the new equipment will be a good supplement for the free weights that are in the RamFit Center.”

Williams supports the decision as well.

“I would be extremely ecstatic,” said Williams, “as additional free weights, particularly more power racks, a dumbbell rack, rather than smith machines, [are necessary].”

When asked whether the athletic department had any further plans to expand the university’s fitness facilities, Roach did not discount the possibility of expansion, but he remained confident that the incoming equipment would be a sufficient solution to the problem at hand.

“I think it’ll solve our problems in terms of additional free weight areas, so that helps us there,” said Roach. “Long-term, would we love to expand the RamFit Center? Sure, but that’s long-term and a ways down the road.”

Though only time will tell whether these plans will be successful, the optimism of students and faculty alike is a strong indicator of what is to come.

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Michael Cavanaugh is the Assistant News Editor for The Fordham Ram.