DU Ritchie Center struggles to support growing population of gym-attendees
1. The University of Denver’s Ritchie Center, seen above,
strives to provide wellness and healthy living for the
student population at DU.
2. The Ritchie Center is
known to be the
landmark of athletics
to DU students and
staff.
These opportunities
become limited to
students as space and
availability decreases
and the population od
students and the
public increases.
3. Making time for fitness for students can be difficult as is
with a busy school day. It becomes more difficult when
during more convenient and later hours, the gym is
packed with people.
4. Magnus Arena, another
major facility, is used
by not only the DU
Hockey and Basketball
Teams, but for high
school graduations and
youth hockey groups.
Other student groups,
like the DU Figure
Skating Team have
trouble booking the
arena for their annual
Ice Show every year.
The space is highly
locked which is
frustrating when
groups are unable to
book the space, when
they see it empty and
5. Even during late hours until closing the gym is packed
with both students and the public. The treadmills are the
most popular and often filled in a constant manner. Time
noted: 8:25 PM.
6. Due to not
having enough
treadmills,
some students
resort to these
strange
hamster-wheel
like running
machines.
Andria Clark, a
Junior at DU
often finds the
gym too busy,
therefore unable
to use the
treadmills that
are the most
popular
7. Many facilities in the Ritchie Center are not only
available for student attendees, but for the public
as well. For example, the pool is often booked
during certain hours for public/children’s learn to
swim training. This additionally takes away the
facilities’ availability to students.
8. Hamilton
Gymnasium is used
by club and D1
basketball. However,
when not in use by
those teams the
doors remained
locked and
unavailable.
The only gymnasium
available for
students to play
pick-up is in the
Coors Fitness
Center. Recently that
gym has been closed
9. It is often rare to see machinery
and rows of athletic equipment
empty.
Therefore going to the Ritchie
Center has become a time-
game in order to be
comfortable at the gym
without too much congestion.
10. The Ciber Field was just
recently contributed to
with an addition of two
more fields. Before, they
were often booked with
the DU Soccer and
Lacrosse teams, along
with club and intramural
teams.
11. As facilities are unavailable to students
or reserved for outside events. Will the
Ritchie Center become less popular
and too unbearable to use?
12. Students notice
small and slow
editions to the
Ritchie Center in
full.
Will “I Am Active”
be possible for
everyone who
wants to be in the
years to come? We
will have to wait
and see.