The new Sun Devil Fitness Complex received a positive and excited response from students on its first day.
Students said they were pleased by how well-stocked the facility was. There are three rows of treadmills and elliptical trainers in the main room on the first floor, along with three bench presses and a multitude of other pieces of equipment.
Exercise and wellness freshman Taylor Phillips was impressed by the amount of cardiovascular training equipment the gym offers.
“I like that they have a lot of treadmills and ellipticals and cardio stuff,” Phillips said. “Some gyms don’t have a lot, and you have to wait.”
Aside from the equipment, students are also excited about the potential the new facility has for the Downtown campus community. Communications junior Andrea Collica expressed enthusiasm for greater student involvement through the complex.
“I think it’s going to bring more people for our intramural programs, more people for our fitness classes, get more kids involved,” Collica said.
The newness of the technology in the gym was a focal point for many. Business communications sophomore Joshua Marshall said his favorite thing about the center was the streaming capabilities that the new treadmills have, while Marty McKenna, a 66-year-old retiree, was pleased by the atmosphere of the building.
“It’s light and airy, and that’s the virtue of some of the newer buildings,” McKenna said.
The newness of the facility distinguishes it from its partner, the Lincoln Family Downtown YMCA. Though the SDFC is connected to the YMCA, many new students view it as an entirely separate facility.
Collica said she believes the complex acts as a complement to the YMCA, though in the future the two may become separate. McKenna, who has been a member of the YMCA on and off since he was a child, saw the fitness complex as a necessary expansion on the YMCA.
“It was a joint benefit that came from being a member of the Y,” McKenna said. “If you hang around long enough, things improve.”
Many students said they believe the new facility is much better than the YMCA. However both Marshall and health sciences freshman Vincent Miller said that they would go to the YMCA if the SDFC was filled.
Students also said there are elements the YMCA has that the new student fitness center does not. Collica said the new facility was lacking in free weights and that she would use the YMCA for its free weights section, while McKenna noted the lack of cable on the machines in the new building.
“I’m a Diamondbacks fan,” McKenna said. “It’s wonderful — they have TV — but they don’t have cable, and usually the Diamondbacks are on cable.”
Another difference between the SDFC and the YMCA is that the new complex is a part of ASU. Though this is the case, any member of the YMCA may use the first four floors of the new facility. Many of the students were fine with community members using the SDFC, but Marshall said he would have preferred if it was limited to ASU students.
“It would be way easier to meet people,” Marshall said.
Collica did not share Marshall’s opinion and said she was enthusiastic for the combination of students and members of the community.
“I don’t want to see just students around here. I want to see all ages,” Collica said.
Miller agreed with Collica. Fitness should be an opportunity open to everyone, he said.
“I think that anybody who’s willing to get out and exercise should be given the opportunity,” Miller said.
Contact the reporter at molly.bilker@asu.edu
