Member overflow has students upset

Marisa Gallelli

Cabrini students are growing increasingly frustrated with waiting for workout machines in the Dixon Center.

The Dixon Center is accessible to all Cabrini students, employees and members of the community. However, the amount of community members seems to be increasing and Cabrini students are continuously finding themselves waiting on the sidelines while non-students exercise.

Every person that enters the Dixon Center, in order to use the workout facilities, must leave their college ID or their gym membership card with the front desk attendant. Membership for Cabrini students is included in their tuition, members of the community however, must play a fee either monthly or yearly. The cost to be a member for an entire year is $450, which includes access to all the facilities. Each additional member of a family will only pay $350 to be a member.

A large problem arises when members of the community decide to only pay on a monthly basis. Select members of the community are only paying for a month’s membership, which costs $50. They then continue to use the same membership card without paying for any additional months.

Dr. Tony Verde, executive director of the Dixon Center, said that the reason some members of the community sneak through is because that some of the students who work the front desk do not take the initiative to make sure the people present their membership cards.

“We are looking into an electronic system, much like what is used in the dorms,” Verde said. Every member would be required to swipe their card in order to access the building. Verde hopes that this will eliminate non-Cabrini students from taking advantage of the facilities for free. Cabrini students’ IDs would be activated in order to access the gym as well.

Senior business administration major Beth Cataline often finds herself sometimes waiting a half hour in order to use the equipment.

“I wound up talking to my friend because all the machines were being used,” Cataline said.

According to Cataline, about half of those who use the machines are non-Cabrini students and employees.

Posted to the web by Marisa Gallelli