TO THE EDITOR:

Maybe Yates should find at way to market itself as a Retro gym. Maybe it needs a marketing campaign featuring students in 70s attire (tight shirts, short shorts and knee socks … maybe some Converse All Stars) working out with the matching “old school” equipment. Honestly, if students used Yates I’d say, who cares, keep it as is and let it be, but we have a serious problem: Hundreds of Georgetown students belong to Washington Sports Club Georgetown (in the Georgetown Mall next to Dean & Deluca). Students pay the yearly dues in addition to the Yates membership fees to have a welcoming place to work out that has today’s standard equipment, new machines, a nice environment and TVs on all cardio equipment. What does Yates have? Nineteen-inch tube televisions that are 50 feet from the machines. Trying to watch those would make someone go near-sighted. Rather than stand by while our students go elsewhere for basic amenities, the administration ought to see the problem and make an immediate decision to revamp certain parts of Yates to bring it to the WSC standard to get our students back. Sure, WSC might struggle (I’d imagine students make up about 50 percent of membership), but students would be on campus, staying healthy and developing a social network for the future. Forget funding, administration, make this happen now!

John Held (MSB ’04)
Jan. 13, 2008