Blomquist Recreation Center has been a favorite exercise spot for students all across South Campus for nearly 50 years. However, in just 11 days it will close for the remainder of the school year. Brendan Preisman has more.
Nat sound: Blomquist sounds
BLOMQUIST RECREATION CENTER IS A 2500 SQUARE FOOT STRENGTH TRAINING AREA. IT’S USED FOR STRENGTH TRAINING, CARDIO, BASKETBALL, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. HOWEVER, IT WON’T BE USED FOR MUCH LONGER.
ACCORDING TO AN EMAIL FROM NORTHWESTERN RECREATION, “BLOM”, AS IT’S CALLED BY MANY STUDENTS, WILL CLOSE FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR ON MAY 15. THIS MEANS THAT STUDENTS WILL GO ALMOST A MONTH WITH THE HENRY CROWN SPORTS PAVILION AS THE ONLY ON-CAMPUS WORKOUT SPOT.
THE NEWS WAS HARD TO TAKE FOR SOUTH CAMPUS RESIDENTS, LIKE FIRST YEAR BERNARD CHEN. HIS CHOICE BETWEEN BLOM OR SPAC (THE SPORTS PAVILION) HASN’T BEEN A DIFFICULT ONE.
“Just cause it’s super close, I go here way more than SPAC”
HE SAID PROXIMITY IS A BIG REASON WHY HE GOES TO BLOMQUIST SO OFTEN.
“Going to Blom, first of all, is just because it’s closer”
ERIN MANNSCHRECK, A THIRD YEAR WHO WORKS AT BLOMQUIST, AGREED THAT PROXIMITY PLAYED A ROLE.
“I lived in Plex last year and I always went to Blom because it was much more convenient”
CHEN ALSO LIVES IN PLEX, OR FOSTER WALKER, WHICH IS ONLY A PARKING LOT AWAY. THIS MEANS THAT IT’S EXTREMELY EASY TO GET TO BLOMQUIST, WHICH HE DOES OFTEN.
“Almost every day…I do weights every other day and I play basketball every day”
HOWEVER, DESPITE THE PROXIMITY, BLOM’S USERS ARE NOT BLIND TO ITS FLAWS.
“The facilities at SPAC are better, and the basketball courts are lowkey better too”
ACCORDING TO MANNSCHRECK, THAT MAY CHANGE AFTER THE RENOVATIONS.
“They’re tearing down the thing right here which is like the old locker rooms”
“There’s gonna be more equipment there”
THE GOAL SEEMS TO BE PREVENTING OVERCROWDING, WHICH CAN HAPPEN DURING THE FACILITY’S BUSY HOURS.
“I think in general the idea is more space”
THAT SPACE, MANNSCHRECK SAYS, WILL BE USED TO ADD MORE EQUIPMENT AND STRENGTH TRAINING MACHINES. THE RENOVATIONS WILL ALSO FRESHEN UP A BUILDING THAT HAS STOOD SINCE 1974. CONSIDERING HENRY CROWN SPORTS PAVILION WAS REFURBISHED IN 2014, IT SEEMED LIKE TIME FOR BLOMQUIST TO RECEIVE SOME UPGRADES AS WELL. WHETHER OR NOT THOSE UPGRADES WILL INCREASE TRAFFIC, THOUGH, REMAINS TO BE SEEN.
“Maybe if it looks nicer next year, people will be more drawn to it”
ONE OF THE PLANNED UPGRADES IS THE FLOOR, WHICH HAS BEGUN TO SHOW ITS AGE. BUT THE RENOVATIONS, ESPECIALLY ONLY ON THE SURFACE, MAY NOT DRAW THAT MANY PEOPLE. CHEN WASN’T CONVINCED THE NEW UPDATES WOULD CHANGE HIS WORKOUT ROUTINE ALL THAT MUCH.
“If they have any cool new machines, maybe, but I’m probably gonna stick to what I’m doing now”
OVERALL, IT’S CLEAR THAT BLOMQUIST WILL BE MISSED BY ITS PATRONS. THE RENOVATIONS ARE WELCOME, BUT THE INCONVENIENCE WILL DEFINITELY AFFECT THE MANNER IN WHICH PEOPLE WORK OUT. AS CHEN SAYS, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SOUTH CAMPUS AND SPAC DOES CHANGE HIS DESIRE TO WORK OUT.
“I think it’s gonna affect how often, probably not gonna go to the gym as often as I do here”
WHETHER OR NOT THE RENOVATIONS DRAW MORE PEOPLE, THE CURRENT USERS WILL BE EXCITED TO HAVE IT BACK IN ANY CAPACITY. THAT INCLUDES THIS VERY REPORTER, WHO ROUTINELY USES THE GYM AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. THE MONTH WITHOUT IT WILL BE DIFFICULT, BUT NEXT FALL QUARTER, IT’LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE GRIND.
Nat sound: weights crashing
FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M BRENDAN PREISMAN.
