CORNELL FITNESS CENTERS KEEP PACE
WITH GROWING DEMAND

by Kathleen Bolton

It's the noon hour on a cold January day midweek. Steady streams of shrouded and gloved people fight their way through snow-flurries and into Teagle Hall. Teagle houses one of the four popular Cornell Fitness Centers (CFC) sites, and students and staffers alike are seeking a release of endorphins amid a long and gloomy winter.

Since its inception nine years ago, CFC has been meeting the challenge of offering fitness opportunities for a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff members in an increasingly health-conscious society. Over 10,400 Cornell community members have purchased annual CFC memberships, and that number continues to grow. But as gratifying as the increased level of participation is, it also means increased pressures on existing facilities. It's a challenge the staff at CFC continues to meet, with a goal of offering high-quality workout facilities on campus to a population that sees fitness as a necessity, not a luxury.

Members of the Cornell community have responded well to having a work-out option on campus. CFC locations get more than 408,000 visits a year, and the program itself generates an annual income of $1.17 million. According to Andrea Dutcher, Director of Recreational Services, Cornell's approach to fitness memberships is to make it voluntary. "Three-quarters of our peer institutions embed fitness fees into tuition," she says. "But Cornell chooses to make fitness optional. No one is forced to pay for a service they may not need nor want."

At Cornell, the demand often exceeds capacity. "All our fitness centers experience high use throughout the day," Dutcher says, "but we are addressing ways to meet the needs of the community."

One of those ways eagerly awaited by upperclassmen is the newest fitness center, which is part of the West Campus Residential initiative. The new Noyes Center will boast state-of-the-art equipment and the latest in fitness technology. So far, the Noyes Center is the first facility to be built with the sole purpose of being a fitness center. All of Cornell's other CFC locations have been cobbled out of building rehabs and former office spaces. Helen Newman Hall, the flagship location, was built in 1963 as the women's physical education and athletic facility, and provided very little open recreation space to the general student population. With the opening of Bartels Hall in 1991, allowing women's athletics to move to that location, Helen Newman Hall became primarily a student recreation center. One of the busiest centers on campus, Teagle Hall, is located in the space formerly occupied by the varsity wrestling program. "It was pretty funky in there before we renovated the room," Dutcher laughs.

"We've improved the Teagle Hall center tremendously," says Darrell Wilson, Director of Cornell Fitness Centers. "We've recently completed a major equipment replacement in the downstairs center to update the room. All of the equipment is state-of-the art while maintaining the Teagle feel for weight-lifting activities. The feedback has been very positive from member regarding the change."

In addition to addressing space issues and member's needs, CFC programmers also try to keep abreast of recent changes to fitness tastes. "Spinning and step classes have faded in popularity, while pilates and yoga are becoming very popular," Dutcher says. "Group participation activities have grown eight percent over last year, and we try to meet that need."

Along with being the largest provider of fitness at the university and surrounding community, CFC is one of the largest employers of students, with over 225 CFC student monitors working across campus. They interact with members daily, and are CFC's customer-service representatives.

"We have a fair amount of turnover due to graduation, study abroad, and general course-load," says Wilson. "Keeping a knowledgeable and well-trained staff is a major challenge, but we have a great student coordinator who does an excellent job of supervising and mentoring our students."

"I enjoy working at the fitness centers because I like being in an active environment," says Casey DePasquale '07. "I think everyone who works here also feels the same way. We get training in risk management, exercises, nutrition-everything we need to serve the members. And we get a free membership."

One of the innovations CFC program managers have implemented in the last few years has been to partner with Gannett Health Center, Campus Life, the Community Centers and other university programs to bring more services to students. Two issues in particular that Wilson and his staff have been working closely with Gannett and the Dean of Students pertains to eating disorders and exercise abuse. "We have designed protocols for information and referrals that help students get the services they need when confronted with these issues," says Wilson. "We attempt to provide the information in a non-threatening, non-confrontational setting because the main focus is the health and well-being of our members."

Despite the challenges, Dutcher sees growth ahead for CFC. "We're definitely a major resource on this campus," she says. "Fitness is a big part of being at Cornell."