Incoming students are greeted with balloons at the opening of the fitness center. Incoming students saw the gym last year. The photos were taken by Sammie.
The fitness center opened its doors in April of last year after many months of construction. The temporary structure is located north of Tari Frahm Rokus Field and east of the residence hall. Its features include two rowing machines, three weight lifting platforms and app-supported workout spaces.
The weight room was located before the fitness center. It was hidden on the north side of the fieldhouse through a small glass door and staircase. The space wasn’t a source of fond memories according to the director of campus recreation.
The space was too small and crowded. That is the reason it has a nickname. The light was not natural.
The fitness community as well as the Pepperdine Campus Recreation were not happy with the title of the book.
The facility that we had to manage and run was something that we weren’t happy about. It was justified, but we couldn’t do anything about it.
Jim Gash became president in 2019. A number of major recreation projects on campus have been approved by Gash, who has made student health and fitness a priority. The $250 million construction of The Mountain will improve the campus’ stadium and recreation facilities.
The Rise Building will be three times the size of the fitness center. A space similar to the Howard A. White Center will be included in the Rise Building.
Gash was not happy about waiting to upgrade the weight room. The fitness center was proposed as a short-term solution by Gash.
President Gash should be given a lot of credit for coming up with this solution. This wasn’t a cheap project so he could’ve just said “we’re going to focus on this Rise Building and put all our money into that.”
Students and faculty give positive feedback about the gym. The new fitness center is a marked improvement over the old one, said senior Nick Barron.
The tent isn’t perfect, but it’s so much better, it doesn’t feel like you’re in a dungeon
The gym condition was one of the main grievances of the man when he was at the school. The short-term solution was put in place in time for his senior year, and it can have a big effect on students’ workouts.
I’m looking forward to going to the gym. I think I’m more motivated when I’m in a room with a good vibe.
Mikela said her experience at the fitness center has been positive. The old weight room has a different look than the new one.
There was no light in the room. It could get very crowded and overheated because there wasn’t enough air.
With the equipment separated into several different spaces across the gym’s two tents there’s less risk of overcrowding in the facility. The rectangular layout of the weight room was a downfall.
The center is open from 6 a.m. to 10p.m. Saturdays and Sundays are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Alec Matulka can be contacted by email atpepperdine.edu.