As spring begins and sweaters come off, Jesse Owens Recreation Center North has made it easier for students to stay in shape.
The recreation center has extended its hours to include mornings in response to student demands, said Mike Dunn, director of recreational sports at Ohio State.
“A number of students from North Campus as well as the Undergraduate Student Government had asked us about a month and a half ago to extend the hours,” Dunn said.
Hours are now 6 a.m. to midnight Mondays through Thursdays, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays, noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 3 p.m. to midnight on Sundays. Jesse Owens North is open 46 more hours this quarter than winter quarter.
The extension of hours is another step in making the Jesse Owens North facility consistent with Jesse Owens South, Dunn said.
“During the winter quarter, Jesse Owens South saw about 2,200 to 2,500 people per day, Monday through Thursday,” Dunn said. “We predict the same numbers at Jesse Owens North the same time next year.”
Dunn said when both Jesse Owens North and South are open, the number of people at Jesse Owens North exceeds the number at Jesse Owens South.
“The number of students living within five to 10 minutes of the Jesse Owens North facility is much higher than previously thought,” Dunn said. “About 12,000 more students live within walking distance of Jesse Owens North.”
The costs to keep Jesse Owens North open during the extra hours is minimal, Dunn said.
“It only takes one to three people to supervise and open the facility,” he said.
Pat Wasserman, a junior in mechanical engineering and recreational supervisor at Jesse Owens North, said the extended hours were a necessary response to student interest.
“Last quarter there would be a line of students at 3 p.m. just to get in,” he said.
Kendra Castle, a freshman in microbiology, said the hours are convenient for her.
“I work and go to school, so it’s nice to have a place to work out that fits into my schedule,” she said.
The extended hours began Monday morning, Dunn said.
“Funding became available only two weeks ago to allow the director to find student workers to cover the extra hours,” he said.
Rich Rossi, a senior in finance and a recreational supervisor at Jesse Owens North, said many students are not aware of the extended hours.
“Not too many people live around (Jesse Owens North), and people do not know it is open early,” Rossi said. “This place is empty.”
The transformation of Jesse Owens North into a full-fledged gym began about four years ago, Dunn said. Equipment was added with a grant given by Coca-Cola, as well as additional funds, he said.
Dunn said about $150,000 worth of equipment has been added to Jesse Owens North over the past year, the same quality of equipment as Jesse Owens South.
“Before the equipment was added, only about 250 people came in per day, just to play basketball,” Dunn said. “With the additional equipment, the numbers rose to about 600 people per day.”
