Students, faculty, and anyone else who has recently seen the renovations done to Schaefer Center and UCC gyms should be pleasantly surprised with the improvements. The Schaefer Center Gym not only has more space, but now includes new equipment for training and more plates in the gym to accommodate more people. These changes have been made possible by a committee of students gathered by Rebecca Los of the SGA and John Maurizi, assistant director of Athletics and Director of Campus Recreation.
Los’s committee was responsible for collecting the feedback of students who regularly used Schaefer Gym on ideas for what to add to improve its quality. When asked how this committee came to be, she stated that “Russel Rogers, who I had previously worked with on ‘The Pond’ initiative, reached out to me in December and asked if it was possible for me to put together a group of students who go to Schaefer gym and would be good at giving input and feedback on some new gym equipment they were considering purchasing.” In the end, the group selected consisted of “a couple from the SGA […], some involved in Greek Life, and other ‘regular students.’” No athletes were asked to participate, though that was not done intentionally, as Los attempted to gather members from an array of students who were familiar with the gym and could give their own unique perspectives on what needed to be changed.
Those who are familiar with the old layout of Schaefer Gym remember how crowded it used to feel and how little there was to offer in terms of exercise selection. With only twelve plates and four racks, including an extra rack for a rowing exercise, those plates would quickly be claimed, leaving some individuals with limited options or even a lackluster workout. In addition, the leg press, cable, and lat pulldown machines left much to be desired. The committee gathered by Los confirmed that what students wanted out of the gym was “more machines that target everything, not just the leg machines that were there,” “updated and clean machines,” and for the space to “feel bigger, less crowded, and more functional.” All of these concerns were taken into account when choosing what equipment was purchased for the gym. Now, Schaefer Gym has a new, more spacious layout, with two of the racks being replaced with smith machines and a total rearrangement of the equipment and even the cubbies. New equipment includes a chest press, preacher curl, assisted pull-up and dip machine, new cable machines, a shoulder press, a new leg press, and many more. There is also now a safe space for students to deadlift, which was previously not allowed, and there are more plates of all weights than can be counted. All of these changes will drastically improve the experience of everyone who uses Schaefer Gym in the future.
The UCC Gym has also seen its own improvements, as previous equipment that students found confusing to use has been replaced. Otherwise, this gym is still the same for the most part, but there are now four new leg machines that can be used to target the lower body more effectively. The inclusion of new equipment makes both gyms much better and allows everyone to have a quality workout for any goal, no matter which gym they choose to go to.
Both gyms were renovated on April 2, as reported by Maurizi. Students who have any other concerns or ideas for things to add can direct their questions to his email. More and more people are going into Schaefer and UCC gyms as the new equipment provides better assistance for pressing and pulling movements and makes things more comfortable for anyone of any strength and skill level. The gyms are now more able to help you accomplish your fitness goals, and if you haven’t already joined your fellow Ducks in checking out the renovations, you are missing out.
