UConn students react to the new Rec Center 

On Sept. 4 at 8:49 p.m., Samuel Orbán wrote in UConn Buy or Sell what some students across campus have said since the University of Connecticut’s new recreation center opened: “This gym is bull****.” 

Orbán expanded upon this thought saying, “The gym is 90 percent cardio machines that are not used anywhere close to even half capacity while all the other machines are full.”   

Other students, such as third-semester political science and communication double-major Jennifer Cooney, said while the building is aesthetically pleasing, its content leaves something to be desired. 

“[The Rec Center’s] use of space is insufficient in comparison to the amount of time and money spent on it,” Cooney said  

As written by Orbán in his Facebook post, the cost of the gym is another issue for many students, including third-semester art history major Eva Solano.  

“I like the new classes that are offered and the new studios for classes, the new gym feels less cramped than the old one,” Solano said. “However, it’s kind of ridiculous that [students] have to pay an extra $500 for it.”  

Division One rower and third-semester chemistry major Janet Wang said the “overly spacious” gym is not cost efficient.  

“Why do we pay for colorful lights and waste energy?” Wang asked. “Why is there so much open space that could instead be used efficiently?” 

Some students like the larger space of the new facility, but said there is a lack of the most popular machines. 

Third-semester molecular and cell biology major Shekar Sundaresh said the open ceilings look “nice,” but the floor space could have been filled with more machines. 

“I don’t think there are enough weightlifting racks,” Sundaresh said. “There are still lines to wait for them for the most part. There are too many treadmills when there could be more machines and racks.” 

Grace Burns is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at grace.burns@uconn.edu.