By Leah Bomar
Notice anything different as you walked through the SAC on your first day back to school? The cafeteria had a make-over while we were gone, Subway stayed, and the weight room in the Intramural center received new equipment. Last year’s Chartwell controversy raised questions about a food monopoly on campus, but students on the first day of class had no complaints about the new restaurant renovations done in the Student Activities Center. With the return of the food favorite Subway, students aren’t complaining as much this semester at the loss of Uncle Chen’s replaced by Wendy’s.
“I’m just glad we still have Subway!” said Jennifer Conner, Senior English major. “Plus I get to use my Cardinal Card wherever I want to eat, so that’s good, too.”
There was no shortage of customers in the upstairs cafeteria, which received all new signs for each restaurant and new banners. Plans for a new Papa John’s on the lower level of the SAC are still in the works. While all the stress of coming back to school may cause some to spend a few extra dollars on the variety of comfort foods available, there are healthier ways to relieve stress right around the corner from the food court.
In the Intramural center on the first floor of the SAC, Phase I of the renovations took place over the summer. New free weights, benches, and some updated machines replaced old ones. Phase II will replace all the machines and give the work-out room a whole new look and feel. When ordering the new equipment, popularity and safety were the top two concerns. Current equipment helps with the safety issue and they’ve taken into consideration health issues such as joint stress on the body.
“I believe you need a lot of variety in your workout. The new equipment helps with the transition between machines and free weights,” says Sylvester Davis, a weight room attendant in the SAC. The new free weights are rubber and even though this means they are safer, paying attention is still vital when working out. Throwing the weights down or dropping them could cause the heavy rubber weight to bounce and possibly injure someone.
Don’t cause yourself more damage working towards that Freshman Fifteen by packing on the pounds. After a healthy meal at the SAC, you can always go to the gym to test out the new equipment for yourself. All U of L students can access the weight room and work out facilities for free with your Cardinal Card ID, or bring a work-out buddy who is not a student for a five-dollar guest fee. These SAC renovations are here for you to enjoy!
