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I 6B The Michigan Daily -Wednesday, April 15, 2009
WenedaApil15. 00 -Te icignDaly 3
THE CCRB IS OUT OF SHAPE
Campus fitness facilities are weak compared to colleges with fewer resources.
It's time that the University listens to students and whips campus gyms into shape.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
"We didn't pay 37 million
I want him to live on. I zlotys (7.6 million pounds)
want to keep a piece of for the largest elephant
_1
By Roger Sauerhaft
Daily Staff Writer
When LSA junior Jeff Kendall
first stepped foot in the Central
Campus Recreational Building
(CCRB), his first impression was
that the facilities appeared dated,
reminding him of the shabby com-
munity center in his hometown of
Midland, Mich.
"They really should reconsider
how they put it together," Kendall
said. "I think we have a lot of work
to do in terms of our recreational
facilities, especially at theCCRB. It's
just so dated for such a large school
with such great resources."
Common gripes with the rec-
reational facilities on campus are
what led to the creation of the Rec-
reational Sports Task Force, which
issued a 91-page report in March
recommending major changes to
campus recreational facilities. Data
was compiled from a survey con-
ducted by the task force starting in
fall 2007.
The task force most strongly
advocated changes to the CCRB, the
North Campus Recreational Build-
ing (NCRB) and the Intramural
Sports Building (IMSB).
The recommendations made in
the report, commissioned hy Pro-
vost Teresa Sullivan and Vice Presi-
dent of Student Affairs E. Royster
Harper, undoubtedly added to
the administration's lengthy list
of needs amid financial strife. But
many say this call to action is well
overdue, especially given the prog-
ress made by institutions that com-
pete with Michigan for students.
As a measure of comparison,
the task force surveyed the fitness
facilities of 11 other universities -
seven other Big Ten schools, Stan-
ford, Maryland, Texas and Virginia.
To put it lightly, the University of
Michigan didn't measure up.
From the list of 11, only Purdue
and Penn State had a lower ratio of
square footage per student. Iowa,
which plans to open its new $69
million facility later this year, will
have well more than double Michi-
gan's space (17.13 ft. to 6.97 ft.) per
student.
The new Ross School of Business
boasts a shiny new fitness center
which is only available to business
TALKING
POINTS
Three things you can talk about this week:
1. Roxana Saberi
2. The War on Pirates
3. U.S.-Cuba relations
And three things you can't:
1. Obama's dog
2. Madonna's adoptions
3. Spring Break Havana 20104
him."
- MARISSA EVANS, a woman from Texas,
expressingher desire to collect her dead
sot's sperm so she can use it to fulfill his
dream of producing three children named
Hunter, Tod and Van. Her son was beaten
to death last week in Austin
house in Europe to have a
gay elephant live there."
- MICHAL GRZES, a conservative politician in
western Poland, complaining that the local zoo
bought a gay elephant who won't procreate because
he prefers "male friends over females"
"I will do what I can too, by offering some of my houses."
- SILVIO BERLUSCONI, Italy's billionaire prime minister, offering to give shelter to thousands of
people who lost their homes during last week's catastrophic earthquake in L'Aquila. As a media
mogul, Berlusconi has homes that include mansions, several beach villas and an apartment in Rome
YOUTUBE
VIDEO OF
THE WEEK
Intro to dancing
On weekend nights, many students
flood the dance clubs near campus to
let loose and have a good time. Some
of those students are experienced
dancers who are confident in their
skills on the floor. Others might do
well to watch this video.
Titled "How to Dance Without
Embarrassing Yourself," this video
comically lists nine steps to improve
your dance moves and avoid making
a fool out of yourself. As the narra-
tor says, "It's easier than you think to
shake your moneymaker, even if you
happen to be a maniac on the floor."
The subject of the video is a stocky
man dressed in drag, wearing red
lipstick, a dress and a blonde wig. As
he's awkwardly dancing in the back-
ground, the narrator says that you'll
need music, a place to dance and a
mirror. In learning how to dance,
there are apparently two optional
parts: alcohol and a dance partner.
The narrator proceeds to list the
nine seeps. In one of the steps, the
narrator advises you to stand next to
someone who is drawing a lot of atten-
tion, which would deflect any criti-
cism of yourbad dancing. You are also
told to avoid emulating other dancers
because "that's creepy." Most impor-
tant, don't break dance, "krump,"
attempt any Justin Timberlake moves
or scream "Ooh, ooh."
Keep these steps in mind for the
next time you're at Necto.
- BRIAN TENGEL
See this and other
YouTube videos of the week at
Nearly all the schools surveyed by the Recreational Sports Task Force had fitness facilities with more square feet per student than the University's gyms.
BY THE NUMBERS
students who pay a membership doubles as an historic campus land-
fee. The average University student mark - one that students appreciate
has to deal with long wait times, an more from the outside than when
unpleasant atmosphere and anti- they're fighting for workout space
quated exercise equipment. But inside.
demand for better facilities is high "I love the old building and its
and the task force report affirms architecture," said Meghan Mil-
that the University could whip its ford, a 2007 alum. "It would be sad
fitness centers into shape if it imple- to see thatgo, but at the same time, it
mented a few changes. wasn't built for this kind of activity.
It's just really outdated."
STUFFY,OLD, INADEQUATE The aesthetic relic is a credit to
of the facilities open to all full- campus architecture but is quite at
time students, the CCRB and odds with the concept of providing
NCRB, both built in 1976, represent quality fitness facilities to help stu-
the cutting edge. According to the dentsrelievestress.Milford alsosaid
report, neither has ever undergone ventilation is an issue. And if you're
major renovations since being built. willing to tolerate the stuffiness for
All other schools on the list except aturn on the elliptical, you'll only be
Penn State have built new facilities able to for 30 minutes at a time.
since 1983. "It just seems like they're try-
The University hasn't always ing to pack more machines in the
lagged behind the recreational van- same amount of area every year,"
guard. When the IMSB was built Milford said. "It just keeps getting
in 1928, it was the first intramural tighter and tighter. They are put-
building in America. Now, it also ting machines in racquetball courts,
and it's just like, 'Come on, expand It should also be noted that since
already."' 2003, residency on North Campus
Despite its historical place on has greatly escalated, causing stu-
campus, the IMSB was criticized dent demand for the NCRB to be
just as harshly as the other two higher than it was six years ago.
facilities on campus by a focus One student employee quoted in
group of 2,293 students surveyed by the task force reportsaidthat"many
consulting firm Brailsford and Dun- freshman are constantly shocked"
lavey in 2003. at how inadequate the gyms are for
Out of the 70 percent of respon- a school with such a strong reputa-
dents who had visited the IMSB, 38 tion.
percent answered that the facilities Staff and faculty shared the opin-
failed to meet their expectations. Of ion of the students. In a July 2008
the 90 percent who had been to the survey taken by the task force, more
CCRB, more than 50 percent were than half of the 2,498 staff and fac-
disappointed. For the NCRB, 48 ulty members who responded said
percent had visited and 27 percent it was "very important" to improve
were let down. the facilities.
The results of the survey led "Our facilities are undersized and
to some modifications within the they are tired," said Recreational
IMSB and CCRB, such as trans- Sports director William Canning.
forming unused locker room space "They are not up to Michigan brand
and racquetball courts into an addi- standards. They are also not up to
tional fitness area, but the task force the current level of technology and
report showed there is much more equipment innovation."
to be done. See FITNESS, Page 7B
Amount of money President Obama is requesting for military
operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
Amount of money Pakistan will receive under Obama's request
Amount of money the U.S. has spent financing the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001
Source: The Associated Press
THEME PARTY SUGGESTION
The final hoorah - With classes ending on Tues-
day, you've got one last weekend to throw a blowout
before finals start. You better make it good. That
means no Natty, no Five O'Clock Vodka and no
Boone's Farm. Even if the party gets raucous, you
still need to say goodbye to the '08-'09 school year
with class. The first nice day, host a spring whites
luncheon. Good music, fresh belinis and dank weed.
Stay classy.
Throwing this party? Let us know. TheStatement@umich.edu
STUDY OF THE WEEK
Brown fat in adults can burn calories
Almost every adult has little pockets of brown fat that can burn
many calories when triggered by the cold, according to several stud-
ies published last week in The New England Journal of Medicine that
examined the presence of brown fat in humans.
Inone of the studies, researchers looked at 1,972 people who had
undergone PKT-CT scans for different reasons. After analyzing the
scans, they concluded that brown fat existed in 7.5 percent of the
women and 3 percent of the men. In another study, researchers had
five healthy adults sit in one room with a normal temperature and one
room that was cold. After scanning the subjects in each room, those
who were in the cold room showed signs of brown fat.
After conductingthe studies, the researchers concluded that brown
fat consumes calories and produces heat when someone is sitting in a
chilly atmosphere, like a room that has a temperature between 61 and
66 degrees.
- BRIAN TENGEL