Many now mixed on Pottruck

With a semester of sweat on its back, the Pottruck Health and Fitness Center has become the new face of fitness on campus. It took a year to replace the old Katz Fitness Center with the $23-million Pottruck powerhouse, and many students voiced annoyance at the inconvenience -- but when the doors finally opened this past September, droves of students were more than happy to lace up their gym shoes and put their grudges aside. Statistics show that now, Pottruck has approximately 2,500 gym users a day, 1,000 exercise class participants and 1,300 individuals who participated in intramural sports first semester, according to Associate Director of Facilities Bryan Haunert. However, after a full semester has passed and the initial glitz and excitement has faded, mixed reviews have emerged among students. The main accolades that students gave the gym related to its convenient hours, cleanliness and the fact that it was nowhere near as congested as the Katz Fitness Center used to be. "The hours are better, and [it's] so much cleaner," fourth-year Dental student Loren Buonocore said. "I feel better working out here." However, beneath the compliments lay a barrage of complaints, the most prevalent being that the gym was too hot -- one student who wished to remain anonymous said that she became so faint last week in the cardiovascular room that she had to leave in the middle of her workout. The $200 mandatory fee that all students were charged in tuition this year was also a point of contention for many gym-goers. "There are probably people who pay the $200 and never step foot in the gym," College sophomore Tim Daniels said. "Also, I don't like how they charge for the climbing wall and the golf" simulator. Wharton junior Joy Dyer also said she thought the fee was unfair. "Penn would charge you money to breathe if they could," she said. Gym users also lamented the fact that the gym did not have enough mats and had no exercise physical therapy balls as most gyms do. Scott Fujimoto, a gym employee, said that Pottruck was lacking in certain areas. "I like the layout, and there's a lot more cardio," Fujimoto said. "But there is not a significantly greater amount of free weights, and the fact that you have to walk down the hall to get to the pool is inconvenient and very cold in the winter." But most students agreed that Pottruck was preferable to Hutchinson Gymnasium, located on 32nd Street, which sees 500 gym users per day. "It's so much better," College sophomores Janna Hoffman and Jen Wade answered in unison. Hoffman added that Pottruck was "not as claustrophobic." Both girls also reported that the Jammin' Juice Bar located on the main floor was one of their favorite parts of the gym. Still, not everyone shared this sentiment. College sophomore James Freeman said he found carrying cash to buy a smoothie inconvenient. "You work out, wanna grab something to drink and then you can't use your bursar" bill, he said. "That's a big deal." Also, Haunert asserted that Pottruck is always looking for ways to improve the overall gym experience. He recommended that students feel free to make suggestions and place them in Pottruck's suggestion box, which is located by the elevator on the first floor. Now that second semester has begun, most students say that despite the problems, Pottruck is definitely an improvement from the past fitness options offered by Penn. Freshman fifteen, beware.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.