In their quests to shape up, University students are shipping out.
A lack of on-campus equipment, a need for more motivation and a desire to reduce self-consciousness have prompted many students to seek memberships at off-campus gyms.
"I used to work out in Card," said Trinity senior JaCqueline Yount, an aerobics instructor at Metrosport. "I think it is awful. Of course, there is something to be said about working out with friends, but the lack of equipment is less of a problem in the larger gyms."
Metrosport, along with Gold's Gym, are among several popular off-campus gyms in the Durham area that enjoy a large volume of business from University students and faculty during the academic year.
Accessibility from campus has indeed been a benefit to Metrosport, which, according to the gym's fitness director Kevin Kirk, has enrolled between 700 and 1000 University students and faculty members this year.
"We can certainly tell when school is in and when it is out," Kirk said. "It is not just students, but faculty also follows the same academic schedule. In fact, we schedule an 8 p.m. aerobics class during the academic year specifically to meet the needs of students and faculty who may have classes and other engagements at earlier times."
A Metrosport membership for University students and employees boasts a monthly discounted fee of between $39 and $44 and includes 42,000 square feet of fitness equipment, water and land aerobics classes, and racquetball and squash courts. Other services include educational fitness workshops, child care, a full-service salon and an espresso and juice bar.
Gold's Gym offers equipment and services similar to Metrosport, including 25,000 pounds of free weights, almost 50 aerobics classes per week, child care and a tanning salon. In contrast to offering a year-round student discount, Gold's Gym offers a promotional discount only when students and faculty return from summer vacation in which membership fees are $19 to enroll and $39 per month and cover the use of the entire facility except for the tanning beds.
Like Metrosport, Gold's Gym also sees an increase in enrollment during the academic year. "We do see quite a few University students in here," said Bob Swadley, assistant manager at Gold's Gym, noting that between 80 and 100 University faculty and students belong to the gym. "Obviously, they study all the time and this is a stress release."
While University facilities offer similar hours and classes as off-campus gyms, the question remains: Why are so many students going off campus to work out rather than staying on campus and using Card, East Campus and Trent gyms?
For Trinity senior Kevin Sawyer, the benefits of an off-campus gym are visibly obvious.
"I actually became a member of Gold's Gym during the summer after my sophomore year," said Sawyer, who has since given up his membership because of what he termed financial burdens. "This year I am going to East because it is newer and cleaner than Card Gym. I was sick of Card. As soon as you get there, you want to leave again. It is so dark and depressing. East is more motivating because the equipment is better and cleaner and it doesn't make you want to leave as soon as you get there."
A lack of equipment is not the only reason students are joining area gyms. Trinity sophomore Cindy Prohl, a Gold's Gym member, prefers the relaxation and comfortable anonymity the gym provides her.
"By actually paying money, I have an incentive to work out. I would feel guilty about wasting my money if I didn't go," Prohl said. "I like to have a reason to get off campus. It is a nice getaway from the stresses here. By being away, I actually can get my mind off of things for at least a little while"
Prohl also extolled the added privacy of off-campus gyms.
"Another thing that I like about not being at the campus gyms, is that it doesn't feel as much like a meat market as it sometimes can be. I like to go in, work out and not have to worry about who's watching, since most of the people are older and busy doing their own thing."
Despite these complaints, DSG Vice President for Facilities and Athletics Jamin Dixon, a Trinity junior, said the University has been trying to raise the quality of its athletic facilities. Noticeable improvements to the East Campus Gym include the construction of multi-purpose rooms, and an increase and improvement in exercise equipment.
"The remodeling that has been done in [East Campus Gym], however, has certainly helped better serve our needs, especially those of freshmen," Dixon said. "The new equipment and improved aesthetics make it more usable and more appealing to all. There are, in fact, still improvements that will be made. These include additional equipment, perhaps new bikes, treadmills and a stereo system."
Dixon also explained that plans are now in the works to build an entirely new fitness facility on West Campus, in addition to Card Gym, that will include three full-sized basketball courts, two racquetball courts, new fitness equipment, a climbing wall and several multi-purpose rooms to house aerobics classes. He added that the prospective starting date for this project is targeted for the end of this academic year.
Nevertheless, the migration of University students to off-campus gyms is a trend Dixon recognizes the University must address in its ongoing endeavor to make improvements to its own facilities.
"It certainly seems that the University's current facilities are not adequately serving students' needs. Pretty much anybody that uses the gyms-Card, Memorial or Trent-will give you some complaint about them as they are," he said. "At least, they'll say, there are improvements that should be made. Also, it is obvious that the campus gyms don't serve the needs of the entire body, as evidenced by students' memberships at other gyms, such as Metrosport."
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