Prescott building’s residence recreation room has gone from couches to treadmills, after being repurposed into a 24/7 fitness centre for all students living in residence.
The conversion is part of a bigger initiative to implement more shared amenities spaces for students living on campus, so students living off-campus will not have access to the facility, said Carleton’s Housing and Residence Life Services director Laura Storey.
The new gym contains treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bicycles, as well as a multipurpose arm machine and leg press machines.
Prescott was an ideal space to create a fitness room due to its spacious layout, according to Storey.
“We don’t have a ton of other space in the other buildings,” she said. “They were built in such a way that it’s like a study lounge and a TV lounge on most floors in every building, except Leeds house.”
When asked if other residence buildings may also have fitness rooms implemented in the future, Storey said it depends on student engagement.
“We’re tracking usage and want to know what’s happening,” she said. “We need more data to find a pattern.”
Prescott gym is used mostly at night during the week, but the number of users fluctuates from day to day. Some days only one person visits, but sometimes there is as many as 40.
Storey also said Athletics was supportive of the Prescott gym, and even offered advice on what type of equipment to include and rules for gym conduct.
Douglas Cochrane, president of the Rideau River Residence Association (RRRA) said although RRRA was not directly affiliated with the planning of the Prescott gym, he is happy it was implemented.
“At the time when we first got into office, it was already something that was kind of in the works,” Cochrane said. “It’s definitely more accessible and it also cuts down the traffic at the main gym.”
Cochrane added RRRA was consulted when it came to choosing equipment and mentioned that Housing and Residence Life Services is currently assessing risk hazards associated with the possible addition of a free weight rack in Prescott.
Students said they enjoy the convenience of the gym’s location, but voiced concerns about its equipment.
Ruvimbo Mandizira, a fourth-year student of biomedical and mechanical engineering, said that after the opening of the Prescott Gym, fitness has become more accessible to her.
“I do appreciate it because I like to go to the gym a lot but the Athletics one is always too full and it’s far from residence,” she said. “I come here more times than I go [to Athletics], but definitely go there like once a week because [there’s] more equipment to use.”
“I prefer this,” Mandizira reiterated while taking a break between sets of leg presses.
Dominic Muhimfura, a second-year student who lives in Prescott, chooses to use the Athletics gym over the Prescott gym due to the absence of free weights and barbells.
“When I come here, it’s just if I’m too lazy,” said Muhimfura about the Prescott gym.
His floormate Jason Hu, a first-year information technology student, agreed.
“It’s pretty bad, I’m not going to lie,” Hu said about Prescott’s gym equipment. “There are very limited options and you really can’t do anything.”
Both Muhimfura and Hu added the gym does not cause any problems or disturbances for Prescott residents.
Feature image by Saraah Rasheed.
