News > October 6, 2005

By Katie Schwartz

Contributing Reporter

This year the university has instated a $30 dollar fee which students will have to pay in order to attend the group fitness classes at the Miller Center to help pay for resources for the department.

The fee must be paid at the beginning of the first group fitness class that a student attends, and entitles them to an unlimited amount of classes throughout the year.

The statement from campus recreation concerning the reason for this new policy is that funds are needed to purchase new equipment such as spinning bikes and yoga mats.

According to the Fitness Center Web site, “Fees collected through the Group Fitness Memberships will be 100% utilized to purchase more equipment, better equipment and cleaning supplies, as well as to provide continuing education for instructors and to bring in new instructors.  Equipment purchases will be made as soon as enough money is collected.”

Senior Nicole Longa, a health and exercise science major, has been a spinning, bootcamp and cardio/weight circuit instructor for the Miller Center for the past five semesters.  Currently, she gets paid about $8 a class. However the money that is collected from the fee is not used to pay her salary.  She says that a lot of the equipment at the Miller Center is old and outdated, having been there since before she began teaching, and is in need of replacement. 

“I feel like there have been a number of changes this year, with the new Pit, and other changes overall at the university there has been a lot of new fees added. It was the right time to add a fee so students can adjust altogether,”Longa said. “I thought it would be a problem, but people are pretty honest about it.”

Although the fitness instructors are happy with the new changes, overall student reaction has been mixed.  While Longa reports no apparent decline in student attendance at group classes, Senior Christina Stockamore said she was outraged.

“I had no idea that they were charging for classes. That is absurd! The weather is nice now, so I try to exercise on my own outside. But, when the weather outside is colder I usually go to classes, but will definitely think twice about it now.”

However, some students agree that the change is a positive one.  “I definitely support the new policy since its going for new equipment. Its only $30 for the entire year and the Center badly needs it,” said senior Grier May.

Other schools have mixed policies on fitness use.  The University of Miami sells memberships to the general population and charges for fitness classes, while other schools such as Hampton Sydney and most state schools do not.

Additionally, the exercise equipment on the first floor of the Center needs replacing, and concerns over more extensive fees have come up. 

“I understand that the group fitness classes are getting new equipment, but I think that it is unfair to make them pay for equipment that is used on the floor (downstairs) … but new equipment is needed everywhere,” Sophomore David Rooney said.

Although the cost to use the gym at the university has risen, it is still cheaper than other local options.  Gold’s Gym, the nearest gym to campus, charges $39.99 a month for use of the facility and unlimited fitness classes.