Reopening to students this Fall, Southwest Recreation Center has unveiled its newly remodeled weight room and introduced two new classes.
The renovation, which replaced the uneven flooring of the old weight room, cost $180,000. The money did not come from student fees, said Marty Dempsey, the assistant director for facility operations.
The renovation was completed in 10 days between the end of the Summer B semester and the start of Fall, Dempsey said.
“We took the opportunity to arrange for new flooring, mostly for the safety, but we also wanted to maintain the quality and look of the weight room,” Dempsey said.
Kaitlin Deidrick, a 20-year-old biology junior, said she often lifts weights at Southwest Rec.
“Honestly, since they mainly just changed the floor, it doesn’t affect me at all,” she said. “I think it just makes the weight room look nicer.”
RecSports also added a meditation class and a center barre class, which is a combination of ballet and strength training, said Leah Shelley, the assistant director for fitness programs.
Shelley said the new format for group fitness classes is to offer them in eight languages. The classes are available upon request.
Dempsey said offering classes in multiple languages will help the large number of UF students who do not speak English as their first language.
“Anything we can do to extend service to make people feel invited and comfortable within our spaces, we’re going to work to do that,” Dempsey said.
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