2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Center holds potential for a good workout
Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion
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12/05/07 - Every once and awhile someone comes along and donates not to a science-related building, but to a facility the majority of students can actually use. Last week the university announced that 1978 alumnus Michael Fascitelli put up $1 million for a new wellness center in the former home of Roger Williams Dining Hall.
Students should commend Mr. Fascitelli for his generosity and willingness to contribute to an area of campus that receives little attention from the media or in the administration's fundraising efforts. With hype surrounding the university's new biotechnology initiatives and additions to athletic programs, the roughly 6,000 students that live on campus are often lost in the midst.
These students serve as the lifeblood of campus culture. Students frequently complain of the few activities available to them and a new wellness center is a badly needed addition to spur a happy - and healthy - resident community.
In addition, the center will help attract students to URI. Lines snacking out of the gym at Mackal Field House are a common sight and are a poor impression on visitors and prospective students that tour the center. The gym, built in 1991, simply cannot handle today's demands.
Potential and current students alike are searching for ways to burn off calories from food from America's greasy fast food restaurants. For other students, the gym provides an opportunity to escape and decompress after a long day. And still for others, the gym is a necessary requirement to stay healthy.
While the university has no hard and fast construction start date, officials are moving quickly to secure cardio equipment for Roger Williams. Even the director of Recreation Services admits the school cannot move fast enough.
But Roger Williams will take more than cardio equipment to become a wellness center. The administration must ensure it does it right the first time by installing equipment students desire and ensuring construction is above par. The institution is at a critical juncture, a rare time where money and space are both available.
Indeed, the opportunity seems almost too good to be true. Yes, renovations and equipment purchases will require additional funding. Yes, state bureaucracy will surely slow the project to a crawl at some point. But for now students should take a moment to thank Mr. Fascitelli and urge the administration to keep the project on the front burner, lest it fall the way of the Atkins diet.
Students should commend Mr. Fascitelli for his generosity and willingness to contribute to an area of campus that receives little attention from the media or in the administration's fundraising efforts. With hype surrounding the university's new biotechnology initiatives and additions to athletic programs, the roughly 6,000 students that live on campus are often lost in the midst.
These students serve as the lifeblood of campus culture. Students frequently complain of the few activities available to them and a new wellness center is a badly needed addition to spur a happy - and healthy - resident community.
In addition, the center will help attract students to URI. Lines snacking out of the gym at Mackal Field House are a common sight and are a poor impression on visitors and prospective students that tour the center. The gym, built in 1991, simply cannot handle today's demands.
Potential and current students alike are searching for ways to burn off calories from food from America's greasy fast food restaurants. For other students, the gym provides an opportunity to escape and decompress after a long day. And still for others, the gym is a necessary requirement to stay healthy.
While the university has no hard and fast construction start date, officials are moving quickly to secure cardio equipment for Roger Williams. Even the director of Recreation Services admits the school cannot move fast enough.
But Roger Williams will take more than cardio equipment to become a wellness center. The administration must ensure it does it right the first time by installing equipment students desire and ensuring construction is above par. The institution is at a critical juncture, a rare time where money and space are both available.
Indeed, the opportunity seems almost too good to be true. Yes, renovations and equipment purchases will require additional funding. Yes, state bureaucracy will surely slow the project to a crawl at some point. But for now students should take a moment to thank Mr. Fascitelli and urge the administration to keep the project on the front burner, lest it fall the way of the Atkins diet.