Since​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​this​ ​quarter,​ ​students​ ​have​ ​not​ ​been​ ​allowed​ ​access​ ​to​ ​the​ ​gym​ ​here​ ​at SFCC.

As​ ​of​ ​right​ ​now​ ​students​ ​have​ ​been​ ​denied​ ​access​ ​to​ ​the​ ​gyms.​ ​But​ ​it​ ​might​ ​not​ ​be​ ​as scandalous​ ​as​ ​it​ ​seems.

“There’s​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​of​ ​discrepancy​ ​between​ ​athletics​ ​department,​ ​ASG,​ ​and​ ​students,”​ ​said​ ​Willow Zimmerman,​ ​ASG​ ​president.​ ​“There​ ​hasn’t​ ​been​ ​enough​ ​staff​ ​available​ ​to​ ​help​ ​all​ ​students.”

Safety​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​big​ ​concern​ ​to​ ​the​ ​faculty​ ​at​ ​SFCC.​ ​To​ ​have​ ​access​ ​to​ ​the​ ​gym,​ ​students must​ ​be​ ​taking​ ​a​ ​fitness​ ​class​ ​so​ ​that​ ​they​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​use​ ​the​ ​machines​ ​properly​ ​without damaging​ ​equipment.

“Athletics​ ​department​ ​has​ ​put​ ​a​ ​committee​ ​together,”​ ​says​ ​Zimmerman.​ ​“Who​ ​are​ ​working​ ​to solve​ ​the​ ​logistics​ ​of​ ​when​ ​we​ ​can​ ​open​ ​the​ ​fitness​ ​center​ ​and​ ​begin​ ​staffing​ ​more​ ​people.”

With​ ​the​ ​impending​ ​completion​ ​looming​ ​large,​ ​SFCC​ ​will​ ​need​ ​to​ ​make​ ​sure​ ​that​ ​they​ ​have​ ​the proper​ ​staff​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​correctly​ ​operate​ ​the​ ​new​ ​facility.​ ​It​ ​seems​ ​that​ ​the​ ​issue​ ​of​ ​money​ ​and finding​ ​the​ ​right​ ​staff​ ​members​ ​is​ ​making​ ​it​ ​a​ ​bit​ ​trickier​ ​than​ ​originally​ ​thought.

“It’s​ ​not​ ​that​ ​they​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​staff,”​ ​says​ ​Zimmerman.​ ​“It’s​ ​just​ ​figuring​ ​out​ ​the​ ​logistics​ ​of where​ ​the​ ​money​ ​will​ ​come​ ​from​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​their​ ​salaries.”

Spring​ ​quarter​ ​of​ ​last​ ​year,​ ​members​ ​of​ ​ASG​ ​met​ ​with​ ​Ken​ ​Burress​ ​to​ ​discuss​ ​a​ ​proposed​ ​plan to​ ​build​ ​a​ ​brand​ ​new​ ​gym​ ​here​ ​at​ ​SFCC.

“We​ ​were​ ​happy​ ​to​ ​give​ ​money​ ​to​ ​athletics​ ​for​ ​renovation​ ​of​ ​the​ ​gym,”​ ​says​ ​Zimmerman.​ ​“We’re excited​ ​to​ ​see​ ​how​ ​the​ ​gym​ ​turns​ ​out​ ​and​ ​how​ ​our​ ​money​ ​is​ ​being​ ​spent.”

According​ ​to​ ​the​ ​sign​ ​in​ ​front​ ​of​ ​the​ ​construction​ ​site,​ ​the​ ​new​ ​gym​ ​will​ ​include​ ​a​ ​climbing​ ​wall, student​ ​lounges,​ ​new​ ​concessions,​ ​an​ ​expanded​ ​fitness​ ​center​ ​and​ ​more.

“Currently​ ​all​ ​students​ ​can​ ​access​ ​tennis​ ​courts​ ​and​ ​tracks,”​ ​said​ ​Zimmerman,​ ​“students​ ​could access​ ​the​ ​gym​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​under​ ​construction​ ​until​ ​June​ ​of​ ​2018.”

The​ ​original​ ​goal​ ​was​ ​for​ ​the​ ​gym​ ​to​ ​be​ ​completed​ ​by​ ​fall​ ​this​ ​year​ ​at​ ​SFCC,​ ​but​ ​so​ ​far​ ​it​ ​just hasn’t​ ​panned​ ​out.

“We​ ​were​ ​expecting​ ​that​ ​since​ ​we​ ​gave​ ​the​ ​Athletics​ ​department​ ​$30,000​ ​that​ ​at​ ​least​ ​the fitness​ ​center​ ​would​ ​be​ ​open​ ​to​ ​all​ ​students​ ​by​ ​fall​ ​2017,”​ ​said​ ​Zimmerman.​ ​“However​ ​that​ ​didn’t happen​ ​because​ ​of​ ​logistical​ ​reasons.”

Originally,​ ​both​ ​of​ ​the​ ​ASGs​ ​from​ ​SFCC​ ​and​ ​SCC​ ​came​ ​together​ ​and​ ​reached​ ​a​ ​settlement​ ​of​ ​a certain​ ​amount​ ​of​ ​money.

“I​ ​know​ ​that​ ​the​ ​ASG​ ​from​ ​SFCC​ ​and​ ​SCC​ ​decided​ ​to​ ​match​ ​payment​ ​up​ ​to​ ​$50,000​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for the​ ​gym,”​ ​said​ ​Zimmerman.

To​ ​afford​ ​the​ ​new​ ​gym,​ ​the​ ​school​ ​has​ ​plans​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future​ ​to​ ​possibly​ ​increase​ ​tuition.​ ​As​ ​of​ ​right now​ ​there​ ​has​ ​been​ ​no​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​costs,​ ​but​ ​don’t​ ​be​ ​surprised​ ​if​ ​it​ ​shows​ ​up.

“Currently​ ​we​ ​have​ ​no​ ​idea​ ​on​ ​cost,”​ ​said​ ​Zimmerman.​ ​“But​ ​it​ ​will​ ​not​ ​be​ ​as​ ​large​ ​a​ ​cost​ ​like​ ​you would​ ​have​ ​at​ ​a​ ​bigger​ ​university.”

Hopefully​ ​soon​ ​the​ ​students​ ​of​ ​present​ ​and​ ​future​ ​will​ ​be​ ​able​ ​to​ ​enjoy​ ​the​ ​brand​ ​new​ ​facilities with​ ​all​ ​of​ ​its​ ​new​ ​features.