Student Senate votes on new gym equipment
The Student Government (SG) Senate on Tuesday night overwhelmingly approved additional funding for equipment maintenance at the Campus Recreation Center and tabled a second request for the purchase of new cardio machines.
Campus Rec requested $106,087 in Activity and Service (A&S) fees to conduct regular maintenance and $177,437 to replace cardio equipment in its main location near the Sun Dome.
Campus Rec receives $68,218 annually in A&S fees for future equipment purchases, which accumulates yearly to save up for larger purchases. The last time Campus Rec accessed that funding was in 2014 for three pieces of outdoor equipment.
The first request of $106,087 is to access these savings. It passed with a vote of 32-2.
The second request of $177,437 would come from unallocated A&S funds, which SG sets aside annually to cover expenses that might arise over the course of the year.
The equipment would include new exercise and spin bikes as well as treadmills for a total of 69 new pieces of equipment. At the meeting, Eric Hunter, Director of Campus Recreation, said the funding is necessary due to “extreme conditions” of the old equipment.
Sen. Juan Pablo Sanchez stood firmly against providing the funding, arguing Campus Rec should have been more financially responsible with the money that is already allocated annually.
The current equipment was bought in 2007 and 2011 when it was funded by SG. The majority of the equipment has a lifespan of three to five years with the amount of use it would get at a facility such as Campus Rec. Only “priority one” equipment would be replaced with “priority two” and “no priority” equipment staying as is. This is based on a priority system that keeps track of usage and repairs.
The second request was tabled by the Senate in order to have more time to look at the need for the funding before revisiting the topic.
More Stories
Taylor Swift USF course to be taught this fall
Are you “…Ready for it?” An English course offered on the Tampa campus will concentrate on Taylor Swift for the first time in the fall. The course, LIT3301: Cultural Studies and Popular Art, has been offered before as an English elective, but can be taken by students of any major. The class concentrates on […]
Marshall Student Center to replace elevators by December 2025
While students made their way into the Marshall Student Center (MSC) over the past year, they might have noticed signs in front of elevators reading they were under repair. One of the most commonly used elevators, behind the information desk at the MSC, was recently completely shut off. The motor on elevator 1, on the […]
Abortion and marijuana amendments are pressing concerns for USF students
Florida voters will have the opportunity to decide the future of abortion and marijuana use in the state this November. Six amendments were approved at the beginning of April. These include amendment three, which addresses marijuana use, and amendment four, which addresses abortion. The abortion and marijuana amendments are especially important to college students according […]
LGBTQ+ USF students to be celebrated at Lavender Ceremony
Intimate graduations are held at USF for students who wish to cross the graduation stage in a more personal setting alongside their friends and families. This year’s Lavender Ceremony is an opportunity for LGBTQ+ students at USF to participate in a graduation ceremony that celebrates their community. The 2024 USF Lavender Ceremony will be held […]
USF announces stadium groundbreaking date
Time to break out the shovels. A groundbreaking ceremony for the on-campus stadium will be held during Homecoming Week, scheduled for Oct. 14-19, 2024, USF announced Thursday. The university said it would break ground in the fall of this year at a Board of Trustees meeting in December. The stadium is expected to be completed […]
Appealing your USF parking ticket? Find out if it can be approved.
Think your USF parking ticket is worthy of an appeal? Statistically, it’s unlikely. Everyone who parks on campus and does not follow parking rules is subject to parking citations. The next step is to determine whether the citation holder’s reasoning will be enough for Parking & Transportation Services (PATS) to dismiss the fine. Related: Got […]