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Students to vote on rec center

The Student Fee Advisory Committee voted unanimously on Dec. 4 to put a proposed student recreation and wellness center up for a referendum vote by the student body on Feb. 27 and 28 of 2007.

The Associated Students Inc. seeks student approval to increase the University Student Union (USU) fee in order to construct and operate a Student Recreation and Wellness Center in Lot 11 near the University Police station.

The proposed fee for the Student Recreation and Wellness Center will be $110 per semester and $83 for summer session, which is added to the USU fee.

“If students were to decide this is something they want on campus, they wouldn’t pay for it until the doors of the recreation center open,” said Amanda Stone, chair of the USU Board of Trustees. If approved, the university has agreed to fund the construction until that point.

Financial aid can be used to cover this mandatory fee. Fifty percent of the student body at Cal State Long Beach receives financial aid, and the fee would be subsidized, so they wouldn’t have to pay it.

The educational campaign to increase awareness about the center is currently in progress.

“Students need to get as informed as possible,” Stone said. “I want students to know this is their decision. They have an opportunity to vote on this, and I think they should.”

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center will be a three-story, 125,000 square foot facility. The construction is estimated to take 18 months, starting in the summer of 2009 and ending in the fall of 2010. Total construction costs will be approximately $66 million.

The center will include cardiovascular fitness machines, free weights and weight machines, an indoor jogging track, aerobic and dance fitness groups, badminton, volley ball and basketball courts, a pool for recreation and lap swimming and rock climbing.

“One misconception is that it’s just going to be a gym, so what we’re looking to do here on campus is have a recreation and wellness center,” said ASI President Shefali Mistry.

The center will offer wellness programs through a joint effort with the Student Health Center. Programming such as body fat testing, nutrition and healthy body image will be offered. It will also have a healthy dining option, including a juice bar, health food options and a lounge.

“It’s another place for students to hang out and to increase student health as well,” Mistry said.

“The later we wait to build it, or at least start construction, the more expensive it’s going to be because construction costs have skyrocketed,” Mistry said. “The cost to build a certain size last year was less than what it costs to build the exact same size this year.”

There are ways students can benefit from having a Student Recreation and Wellness Center on campus.

“Roughly 50 percent of CSULB students have gym memberships in the private community,” said Dave Edwards, USU director and associate executive director of ASI. “However, with the proposed facility they would be paying more than $100 less than what they currently pay at private gyms annually.”

The Student Needs Assessment survey conducted last year showed that nearly 50 percent of students believed it would make CSULB more attractive to prospective students. More than 60 percent said it would improve the health of CSULB students, and 59 percent believed it would significantly or moderately impact the overall quality of campus life.

“We surveyed 25 percent of our students, which is unheard of. It was a really great turnout,” Mistry said.

Edwards said alleged tampering with a student survey last year regarding the center did not affect the decision to put the proposal up for referendum. He said that, if anything, that would actually help the decision to put it to the students for a vote.

In order for the center to become a reality, students need to vote in February on whether or not they want it on campus.

The Student Union Board of Trustees also voted unanimously in favor of the center.

“ASI’s objective is to encourage students to vote,” Edwards said. “Go out and have your voices heard.”

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