The Student Association (SA) Senate met Sunday night to discuss student input on the state of campus recreation at NIU.

Recreation Center Director Sandi Carlisle showed SA Senate a narrated PowerPoint presentation which presented feedback from students along with photos and information from other university recreation centers. Carlisle said surveys were taken to ask students about health and wellness on campus.

“We’re looking at where we are today and then posing the question ‘Where do we want to be tomorrow?’” Carlisle said.

The presentation aimed to inform students how NIU compares to other schools in regard to to recreation centers. At NIU, 85 percent of students participate in campus recreation, which is 10 percent higher than the national average, according to the presentation. More than half of students surveyed said the presence of a recreation center had an impact on their enrollment decision. The presentation said NIU Recreation Services has been unable to keep up with the growing student population and demand for more space.

Along with being one of the oldest facilities in the region, NIU’s Recreation Center has the lowest amount of available space per student, according to the presentation. The presentation also said more than half of the students surveyed said NIU’s Recreation Center is overcrowded. The presentation showed pictures of recreation centers from other universities and focused on the large lobbies, expansive hallways and natural lighting used at modern facilities. There are no plans set in place yet for new developments at the center, according to Carlisle.

Of the students surveyed, it was determined that the need for more cardio equipment and space for cardio activity was the most important thing to students, with 98 percent of the students saying this is important to them, according to the presentation.

Carlisle said along with providing more room and resources for cardio workouts, NIU hopes to put in a rock climbing wall and an additional pool area. Carlisle said the presentation will be available soon on the Recreation Center’s Facebook page and website. Though Recreation Services has a large part in deciding whether to build the facility, student input is a factor as well.

“It’s really up to the students to decide, not just Recreation Services,” Carlisle said. “Sure, we’d like to see more room and more services, but it’s all about what the NIU students want.”

Carlisle said there was a study done to compare enrollment in universities after building a new recreation center. According to the study, schools who have built a new facility have seen increased enrollment and three to five times more use of recreation facilities. Carlisle hopes a modern recreation center would help benefit Vision 2020 by attracting students.

Senate Speaker James Zanayed said he was moved upon watching the video and hopes students were, too.

“The first time I saw this video there were a couple of hand-to-face moments,” Zanayed said. “I can’t believe this situation has gone so far. I urge you not to take this lightly. It’s on you to go to your district constituents and inform them. It’s very important the students be the ones who want to see the change.”

After the presentation, Senator Patrick Birk, chairman of the University Services committee, spoke of another issue affecting students.

“What I’ve learned lately regarding textbook affordability is that the cost of textbooks has risen four times in the past few years,” he said. “In addition, on average, when a new edition of a textbook comes out it’s 22 percent more expensive than the previous edition.”

Nicholas Bender, director of Governmental Affairs for the SA, said there is a bill in the works that would involve a potential state grant for teachers who would want to write textbooks and make them available online. This would help significantly reduce the cost of textbooks for students.

The SA plans to look more deeply into how textbook costs affect NIU students.