For undergrads, balancing a healthy lifestyle with other responsibilities can often seem like a losing battle. No one thinks they’ll actually gain the freshman 15, but its causes become apparent quickly: hectic schedules limit exercise, tight budgets determine diet, and convenience reigns supreme during finals week.
In other words, resolving to take care of yourself is easy. But when you have 30 minutes for lunch, nothing to spend but Dining Dollars and a straight shot to the campus Burger King, following through can be hard.
It’s great that we have campus resources to simplify healthy living, but there’s definitely some room for improvement. As with many issues at the University, a key problem is overcrowding. We’re lucky to have a fantastic gym, but trying to find a free machine after 2 p.m. is a waste of time. It’s great that Fresh Food offers healthy eating alternatives, but less great that the line often reaches across the food court.
Fortunately, the University is expanding both its dining and fitness facilities in coming months. Administrators just need to make sure that the new buildings adequately address student needs.
For starters, the Ferguson Center expansions badly need to address the issue of dining. The entrance to Fresh Food, the healthiest on-campus dining option, is often blocked by lines with a wait time of 15 minutes or longer.
Additionally, many dining halls run short on food during peak hours. To use a personal example, it’s been a week since I found any fruit at Fresh Food. The new dining hall needs to address these issues not only by increasing capacity, but by offering dining options that are adequate to students’ nutritional needs.
The new Rec Center, to be completed this year, will also face unique demands. As I said before, the current Rec Center is a fantastic facility. I can’t say enough for the quality of the equipment it offers, nor for the diversity of its programs (like kickboxing and yoga).
However, it lacks the size and space to support 34,000 students and most of its free programs typically fill up a half hour before they’re scheduled to begin. The new Rec Center needs to maintain the things that make the current Rec Center great, while expanding its availability to more and more students.
Let me clarify that I don’t think the University has any obligation to force its student body into a healthy lifestyle. After all, this is college, and a certain amount of self-direction is needed. But for students who live on campus, healthy living options need to at least exist and be accessible.
To that end, I’m deeply excited to see the University expanding its support for healthy student living. Let’s hope that the facilities are complete soon and that they provide adequate support for our student body’s growing needs.
Nathan James is a senior majoring in public relations. His column runs weekly on Thursdays.
