Recreation fees may not seem much to freshmen seeking campus activities, but to returning students, the change from previous years is significant.
The Department of Campus Recreation has added a new fee to all group fitness classes and a majority of intramural sports for the fall semester.
Students wishing to participate in group fitness classes or intramural sports will have to pay either a $10 or $20 fee, depending on the activity. For junior anthropology major, Hali Niles, the fee was a surprise.
“I did group fitness about five or six times last year because I didn’t have a lot of time,” Niles said. “When I went online to check the schedule, it was discouraging to see that the classes were no longer free.”
Amanda Alpert, Coordinator of Intramural Sports and Sport Clubs, said student participation in intramural sports and group fitness classes is on the rise, and adding a fee is helping pay the student staff and instructors.
Although there is a fee attached to the activities, Alpert said students should know that the $20 fee for Group Fitness classes is a one-time payment and the money is going towards paying instructors and the two new recently opened studios.
“Once a FitSticker is purchased by a student, that student can participate in unlimited group fitness classes throughout the semester,” Alpert said.
Alpert also said the fees associated with intramural sports range from $10 to $20 because the formats of the sports are different.
“Our $20 sports are our large team sports or leagues,” Alpert said. “Students get at least three weeks of playing and playoffs if students make it. The $20 is a team fee. Not an individual fee. We wanted to make sure if we placed a fee, the students would get the most out of it.”
The sports involving a $10 fee are the small team or individual sports. There are still some sports that have no fee, but the selection is very small.
While there have been outcries against the new fees, some students do not see a problem.
“For me, the fees are actually less than the fees I pay back home,” Elizabeth Hale, a freshman biology major said. “I am willing to pay it, because I believe it’s a great deal.”
Students can still use workout equipment at the Turner Center for free as long as they have their student ID.
For students wishing to try group fitness, the Department of Campus Recreation is offering free classes as part of “Jam Week”. More information is available on the university website.
