Open forums were held on Wednesday and Thursday in the Taggart Student Center to address questions and concerns from students about the proposed Aggie Recreation Center and Aggie Legacy Fields.
James Morales, vice president of student services, and Kevin Kobe, director of campus recreation, were two among those presenting at the hour-long events.
The spokesmen said the ARC concept stems from an effort to provide more up-to-date recreational facilities on campus. Kobe said the new facility will provide for students year-round with its open recreation use. The ARC will host intramural sports, club sports, non-credit fitness and wellness classes, campus organizations and university special events.
The second part of the project is the construction of Aggie Legacy Fields, which would involve converting the Health Physical Education and Recreation grass fields into synthetic turf fields. Kobe said the project would also involve lighting the fields for year-round use by students.
Morales said the recreation center and fields could benefit the students and university in several ways. Not only would they appeal to incoming students, he said, but they would encourage an improvement in academic performance and create a greater sense of belonging within the community.
“We’ve polled our incoming freshmen,” Morales said. “Most of them have responded favorably. This will draw more students in terms of recruitment, enrollment will grow, and it will keep students at USU.”
If approved, construction of the ARC would begin in April 2014 and its doors would open in August of the following year. Construction on the fields would be completed this August.
The cost of the project is estimated at $30 million. Students would be required to pay a $75 fee each semester to help with funding. According to USU’s website, students currently enrolled are already paying a campus recreation fee. The fee ranges from $16.16 and $29.65, depending on how many credits the student is taking. Morales said the increase of this student fee is the most common reason for opposition among students.
Indeed, that was Justin Hinh’s argument.
“This fee does not need to happen. There are better routes, such as the Alumni Association,” Hinh said. “The thing is, they are rent seeking. Those in power here at USU want to leave a legacy for students to come. Why not voluntary associations? Why not use alumni donations to pay for it? If we have good relations, I cannot see why they wouldn’t step up and pay for a student rec center.”
Hinh said he also opposed the project because he does not want to pay for facilities he is not going to use.
“I think it will benefit students, but only certain students,” Hinh said. “That’s the thing – it will benefit certain students at the cost of other students.”
Kobe disagreed and said he feels that the recreation center will provide opportunities for a variety of students.
“We understand that not everyone wants to play an intramural sport, or that not everyone wants to go run on a treadmill,” Kobe said. “But there is something for everybody in this new facility. There are multi-media rooms, a cafe, chessboards. This is a form of open rec. We are about creating opportunities for students to interact.”
Voting on the project will take place next week.
Betsy Blanchard, Jason Borba, Taldon Bressel, Maggie Euller, Alicia Facer, Curtis Lundstrom and Amanda Taylor contributed to this report.
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