To ensure that the upcoming construction of Tufts' new, $30 million athletic facility is not carried out without student input, sophomore Adam Kornetsky, a student trustee representative, compiled a report of student perspectives on the renovation and expansion.
Kornetsky presented his report to the Administration and Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees on Feb. 9.
Kornetsky spent last semester speaking with students that he calls "casually athletic" about their use of the current athletic facilities. He wanted to make sure that the trustees were aware of the issues that were most important to students.
Some of the suggestions he made based on the feedback he received include the incorporation of a rock wall, juice bar, and foyer space that can be used for highlighting Jumbos' athletic accomplishments and raising school spirit.
"Students shared their ideas with me, and I brought them to the trustees so that they could do this right so that the new fitness center can be used by all students, athletes and non-athletes," Kornetsky said.
"The entire process included spending time in the gymnasium talking to students that were there," Kornetsky said. He also spent time speaking with the gym staff, the Senate and the administration.
"The whole ... idea is that the gym can really be a social experience, and I know a lot of people like to go and just work out, but there's also a lot of people who would like to ... hang out for a little while after, maybe grab some sort of shake," Kornetsky said.
He hopes the new facilities will be "catering to every student, regardless of how athletic they are, and fostering an environment to live a truly healthy lifestyle," he said.
Kornetsky felt that in principle, his proposals were greeted with support from the Administration and Finance Committee as well as from President Lawrence Bacow. The feasibility and costs of each proposal, however, will have to be considered.
Construction on the proposed renovation and expansion of the Tufts athletic facilities is expected to begin in the fall of 2008. The funding is coming from the Tufts' Beyond Boundaries fundraising campaign and a $10-million donation from Steve Tisch (A '71).
According to Kornetsky, students' top concerns about the current facilities include a lack of available cardio machines during the winter months and limited access to the popular intramural basketball court.
The renovations seek to ease some of these problems, with initial plans to "roughly double the size of the fitness center and the number of machines available to students," said Mitch Bodnarchuk, director of construction management at Tufts.
The biggest challenge, according to Bodnarchuk, "will be to keep the existing facility up and running during the construction phase of the project, and we are working to find a balance."
Other members of the Tufts community, including the Office of Sustainability, are contributing to the new project as well. Tina Woolston, program coordinator for the Office of Sustainability, has been looking for opportunities to incorporate environmentally friendly features, such as solar panels, into the new gym.
"The renovation and expansion is a great opportunity for Tufts," said senior Ella Carney, "not just to improve facilities for students who currently use the gym, but to encourage more students to be involved in physical fitness."
