By Pyc Fitness
©2004-2008
The half-mile walk to Autry Court is over for Brown College students, who celebrated the opening of their own fitness center on Tuesday.
The Brown Fitness Center has a cross trainer, bike machine, rowing machines, flat-screen television and Smith machine, along with free weights and Pilates and yoga mats. The equipment and television are all Energy Star Certified, meaning they use little energy when they are off or in stand-by mode.
Brown sophomore April Lind said the fitness center is only open to Brown students and resident associates.
¡°It¡¯s a Brown College improvement, and we don¡¯t want things stolen because we¡¯ve invested a lot of time and money into it,¡± Lind, a member of the Permanent Improvements Committee, said.
Lind said those wishing to use the facilities must sign a form outlining guidelines for conduct in the fitness room.
The facility cost approximately $11,000, and has been a project in the works for several years, Lind said
¡°It¡¯s something we¡¯ve been toying with for two and a half to three years,¡± Brown President Robert Plummer, a senior, said. ¡°I pretty much came in with the mindset that the money is there, so let¡¯s use it. It¡¯s nice to see the money students are paying being put to good use, and there¡¯s no better use than something students want.¡±
Brown spent $4,000 from its permanent improvements budget on the fitness center, and another $4,000 came from matching funds from Housing and Dining. The remaining cost was covered by the H&D Ambiance Fund, money set aside for the improvement of the general appearance and ambiance of each residential college.
¡°It¡¯s something that has been in the works for a number of years but for some reason has never gotten off the ground [with anything] more than a 12-inch TV in there and some weights,¡± Lind said. ¡°We¡¯re the farthest from Autry but very active in sports, so we have a huge student population that would love to have a place to work out.¡±
Brown sophomore Andrew Davenport said he appreciated the fitness center¡¯s convenient location.
¡°Now I don¡¯t have an excuse not to work out,¡± Davenport said. ¡°I have a friend who¡¯s been asking to work out and now I can¡¯t say it¡¯s too far away.¡±