By Sophia Oppedisano
Editorial Staff
The Framingham State athletic department is updating its equipment this year, including new fitness center amenities.
The department is overseeing a three-phase initiative to replace the equipment in the student fitness center, according to Athletic Director Thomas Kelley. Kelley said the department installed the previous equipment in 2001 when the fitness center first opened.
The department introduced new “self-contained lifting machines” and a few treadmills as part of phase one, Kelley said. These include an assisted pull-up machine, a bicep curl machine, and a chest press machine. Matrix Fitness, a company that specializes in commercial gym equipment, designed and installed the new machines for the phase one install in July, Kelley said. According to Carey Eggen, deputy director of athletics, the new equipment cost $67,577. As far as financing for the remainder of the project, Eggen said, “[The department] will be requesting money through the capital request form for the next phase. I think the goal would be to continue to make improvements as money permits.” Phase two of the modifications will include new smart treadmills and cardiovascular equipment. The department will add free weights as part of phase three, Kelley said. The upgrades were approved and voted on by the Board of Trustees and the Budget and Planning Committee. According to Dale Hamel, coordinator of special projects, office of facilities and capital planning, the fitness center “was a project considered as part of the annual ‘Budget and Planning Committee - Capital Adaptation & Renewal Projects Prioritization’ exercise. “It turned out to be one of the highest-ranked projects and received FY25 College Operations funding support,” Hamel said. Kelley said the new equipment already seems to be having an impact, with more students using the fitness center early on in the semester. Kelley said during and after the pandemic, traffic to the fitness center drastically declined. “This semester, it's been pretty busy up there. It looks like it's getting back to what it used to be. I think some of the machinery was so outdated and it was broken - it wasn't conducive to a fitness center,” he said. Alexa Gibson, a senior, said “My first two years on campus [the equipment] seemed like a hindrance - not even the machines but the free weights because the dumbbells were missing increments of like 15-35 [pounds] so you had to use lighter weights or jump up 20 pounds. I feel like I never even looked at the machines because half of them were out of order. “Some of the machines seem nicer and I like the variety, but I’ve found that out of the 4 machines I do use, two of them don’t work very well. The leg press machine doesn’t give as much range of motion as the old one and the pin for the lap bar on the hamstring curl machine always pops out when I try to use it,” she added. Senior Avery Barnes who trains as a powerlifter said, “I love the new equipment!” She said the new equipment is an opportunity for students and student-athletes to explore new workouts and implement new movements into their routines. Barnes said an improvement for the fitness center could be a new arrangement for the cardiovascular machines. “I think a lot of students feel uncomfortable to be running or walking and facing towards the gym so close to the new machines,” she said. Adonis Vashon, a senior on the men’s basketball team, said he did not believe the old equipment interfered with his workouts, but the new equipment “enhances” it. He said, “I think it improves the look a lot - but it’s only a couple of machines. Maybe [add] more free equipment like the medicine balls, yoga mats, and free weights.” Emily Riggins, a senior and player for the field hockey team, agreed that further additions could be made. “I like kickboxing, so I would like to see a hanging bag. That would be pretty cool to incorporate too,” she said. “I really like it up there now, and I feel it kind of reminds me who I'm playing for. … I made it to college, I'm a student athlete in college, which is not easy to do so it makes me feel happier,” Riggins added. Bernardo Steven Espino, a senior, said “It looks new, so it makes me want to use the equipment. When you get new stuff, you want to kind of use it, touch it, play with it. So just walking in, there’s a new atmosphere.” Espino also said the look of the new machines upgrades the gym from “dull and boring” to a more appealing place where students will enjoy spending their time. Hannah Nilson, a senior, said she has noticed an increase in the number of students who frequent the fitness center. “You have to claim [your spot] fast. … I think you really have to find the right time,” she said. Aili Schiavoni, a junior, has frequented the gym since she was a first year, she said. “While I love that we have new equipment, there’s definitely a long way to go with the rest of the gym. Some of the benches are wobbly, which makes it difficult to do certain exercises,” she said. Schiavoni also said she would want to see a new Smith machine, which consists of a barbell attached to two rails and allows for vertical movement, added to the equipment. She is also hopeful the new cardiovascular equipment will arrive soon. “I personally only use the ellipticals for cardio and know for a fact that you can’t increase the grade of your exercise because of some issues with the machine. “Despite its flaws, I really like the campus gym and it has most everything I need to get my routine done,” she said. In addition to the current student body, Kelley stated he is hopeful the updated look and feel of the gym will stand out to potential student-athlete recruits. “Student [athletes] coming out of high school now [ask], ‘What can you show me?’ It's not about just playing out of [high] school,” Kelley said. Reese Perry, a junior transfer and member of the women’s basketball team, said, “When I committed here, part of the discussion coach and I had was that the equipment was going to get installed, and I got a text when it was finalized. I was very excited about it. “It's another resource for people, especially when there's limited gym time and not everything is accessible all the time. To have at least one place you can go to move your body is really important for people. ... If you don't get the cardio your body is used to, it can really affect you. So I think a gym is a great way to get that out,” she added.