PAC Student Media

By James Avalos, Pulse staff writer

Palo Alto College is expanding in all aspects. One specific location is a larger, more inviting workout area.

The renovations began in mid-2012, and they are scheduled to be complete in late June 2013. Its plans include enlarging the workout area to 5,000 square feet, about six times larger than the previous weight room.

The new workout area will offer more exercise equipment, such as treadmills, free weights, state-of-the-art cable machines and newer equipment, as compared to the older, more basic, equipment that is offered now.

Adrian Montoya, the athletic director of PAC, is still debating on the specific times he will have the new Fitness Center open, but he said that it will be open in the morning, afternoon and evening with breaks in between at first.

“Just to start. If we get heavy use, we’ll be open longer,” said Montoya.

The anticipation of the new gym has students optimistic for a more active future for themselves and their fellow students.

Holly Hyatt, a freshman Cinematography Digital Video major, had nothing but positive things to say about the project.

“I think it’s great. We do need to focus slightly more on our physical health education. Money well spent,” said Hyatt.

Joshua Alcoser, a sophomore Biology major, said, “The expansion of the new gym would be a great foundation to promote more fitness. It would hopefully encourage students to make their own workout plans and stay dedicated to them.”

Montoya also shared great enthusiasm for the finished renovations. Despite the fact that attendance stayed virtually the same since last year, Fall 2012 had 8,568 students and Spring 2013 has 8,503, he remains optimistic that the finished renovations will help more students and faculty lead healthier lives.

“Hopefully everyone will come out to use it. The complaints we have for the old (gym) is it’s just not big enough,” said Montoya. “Health is a motivator.”

The Fitness Center will be available to anyone with a Palo Alto College identification card, including faculty, staff and students. Montoya said that students from the other Alamo Colleges will not have access.

With no exact times of operation chosen, students and faculty wanting more information will have to wait for the grand opening of the center in mid- to late- June of 2013.