By Olivia Winters
Attention, gym rats. Your thirst for cardio can finally, at long last, be quenched.
Over spring break, the Simon Forum underwent a big renovation in its upper workout room. Upon returning from Spring Break, students were surprised with a new set of cardio machines, replacing the outdated models that have been used for the past several years. According to Christa Racine, Director of Drew Athletics, there were too many pieces of cardio equipment that were prone to breaking down, to the point where it was more logical to invest in a new set than to continue to make repairs. All of the new equipment was purchased from a separate company than the older models. In total, every cardio machine was replaced, the exception being the rowing machines, due to the fact that there have been no reported maintenance issues with them. “Having new equipment to work out on is always exciting and fun,” says Racine. “With winter hanging around longer than we all want, it is nice for the students to have more options to stay active indoors.”
Over the past few years, Drew Athletics has seen its share of renovations throughout its facilities. The downstairs weight room of the Simon Forum was upgraded with a set of brand new equipment in 2016, allowing students to maximize their time and efficiency in the gym. The University was able to fund this restoration project thanks to a combination of university money and fundraising efforts from athletics. While unrelated to the alumni fundraising campaign for the indoor and outdoor athletics facilities, Drew was able to update the cardio room this spring with new treadmills, bike machines, and elliptical trainers.
For the student body, this new machinery is a welcome improvement to the Simon Forum. Mikaela Simon (‘19) says, “I like [the new treadmills] because there are so many, but I miss the screens on the old ones. It was so frustrating before when there were only two working treadmills, and you had to wait in line for them. Now I get [one] every time.”
