In October 2006, Men’s Fitness Magazine named Colgate the second “fittest” college in the nation, and second only to Dickinson College. Although over 10% of the student body are Division I Varsity athletes, the majority of us stay in shape by going to the fitness center in Huntington Gym. While Huntington is a spectacular building from the exterior and certainly fits into Colgate’s campus, this center would benefit from a major renovation and expansion. Throughout the day students have to wait at the gym due to the dearth of available machines, for which lines can be up to half an hour. With all of the money being spent on the new library and science center, it is reasonable to allocate some resources towards physical health on campus.

In addition to a renovation or expansion of the current fitness center, a satellite fitness center up the hill could also alleviate frustrations associated with working out. Many schools have satellite centers and the basement of Curtis Hall or newly vacated space in Lathrop Hall could serve this purpose. Students who want to work out in between classes, or who live up the hill will have more accessible options which will also lighten the demand on Huntington gym.

This issue has been questioned by numerous members of the Colgate community and should be on the agenda of the student government or the Colgate administration. After all, who wants to waste valuable time after he or she is motivated to go to the gym?

Another matter that directly affects first-year students is the Monday night Cruiser schedule. Colgate’s youngest class has set a new trend in the social life on campus, as going out on Monday nights is now in vogue (perhaps due to new rules at the infamous Old Stone Jug). First-years who go down the hill on Mondays have limited access to safe transportation back up the hill past midnight when the Cruiser shuts down. Since the Cruiser runs after midnight on Wednesday through Saturday, how difficult would it be to ease the trek back up the hill by running the Cruiser for an additional night?

Although these separate initiatives will certainly not be effortless to implement, they are two important endeavors that would benefit the student body and should therefore be considered.