Surveys taken in early November at the Office of Campus Recreation helped the Student Association Recreation Committee submit a budget request of $74,243 to the SA Finance Committee Saturday.

The finance committee approved $68,834.30 for the organization.

Huda Scheidelman, member of the recreation committee and an SA senator, said the survey, answered by about 200 people, helped the committee to become aware of the “policies students didn’t like at the rec center.”

The survey was divided into the freshman and sophomore responses and upperclassman responses. Scheidelman said, “We’ll probably take freshman and sophomores more into consideration because they’ll probably be here when changes are made.”

Scheidelman said the OCR makes the budget and the recreation committee looks over it and makes changes. The committee had several ideas on improvements to be made at the Recreation Center and they “thought (the surveys) would be good validation for our ideas,” she said.

One of the survey questions asked what the rec center users felt needed to be improved the most. The most popular need for improvement was found in the weight room, she said. Many complained the weight room did not have enough weights, needed music which “advocates an energetic mood to work out in,” and was just too small. Some requested students be able to call-in reservations for a racquetball or walleyball court.

Another question asked what they thought was needed but not provided at the rec center. Some of the answers were a hot tub, drinking fountains with better quality water, wooden floors instead of carpeted floors in the gymnasium and more specific weight machines, Scheidelman said.

Athletes also were asked what they were most disappointed with at the rec center. About 80 percent of the freshman and sophomores said the weight room. Others said the carpeting was not liked.

Scheidelman said, “It’s really (a) bad running surface” because it has no shock absorbency, the turns on the track are sharp, it is hard on the joints and it is easier for a basketball or volleyball player to sprain an ankle.

Another question asked what equipment they would like to see available for check-out. Answers included racquetballs, weight belts and weights.

Scheidelman said, “We are going to try and do our best to make the changes that were most complained about and that were most realistic.”

Recreation Committee Adviser Todd Lokken, who helped write the survey questions, said, “The students were a lot of help with this.”

Lokken said, “We’d love to (make all requested changes), but we just don’t think it’s feasible.” He said it probably would result in a “big increase in student fees.”