I am writing to express my general disappointment with the management of the Student Recreation Center. There is one problem in particular that has finally irked me enough to motivate me to put pen to paper: the sauna in the men’s locker room. It has been out of commission since school began.

I do not believe it is unreasonable for students to expect that everything in the Rec should be in proper working order by the time they resume classes after summer break. All deficiencies should have been discovered and all repairs should have been completed over the summer – when there is a minimum of traffic.

I would suggest that instead of spending money on unnecessary coats of paint for the interior, the management should first allocate those dollars to maintaining the equipment in the facility. I would also recommend that in the future, management contract to have any painting done either before or after hours. I did not appreciate – and I’m sure I was not the only one – choking on paint fumes while I was trying to exercise one morning last semester. There seems to be no problem with closing the facility for holiday weekends or for football games; there also should be no problem with closing it on a weekend to get work such as painting done.

The weekday operating hours in effect at the Rec also leave something to be desired – 7 a.m. is not nearly early enough. If staffing is a problem, perhaps the dollars spent on the painting should go to having one or two staffers there one hour earlier every morning.

Please have those doors open either on time or several minutes before opening as opposed to several minutes after opening. Several times this year, the doors have been locked until 7:05 a.m. or later, according to the clock in the Rec lounge. There are classes on campus that do start prior to 9 a.m.

I would also ask that every area open to the patrons during normal hours be open on time as well, particularly the fitness room that occupies the racquetball court. Too often I have to ask someone to open it and then have to wait several more minutes before I can access it.

I would be very interested in hearing management’s responses.

Brian Boylan

Third-year law student