AUC Sports Complex’s New Innovation Plan

By Alia Gharara

The AUC Office of Athletics has moved the gym’s weightlifting and cardio equipment from its original location in room P008 to a larger space above Seoudi Market adjacent to the Sports Complex.

Room P008 had become tight for space with the machines too close to each other and hence, the room almost always looked crowded. 

“The Office of Athletics wants to use the old room to create an area for martial arts. There will also be a surface that will include lockers, mirrors and a sound system,” said Robert Reasso, the AUC office of Athletics director.

“Instead, the old room where there were machines will be transformed into a cross fit room with a rock climbing wall,” he said.

Reasso says the Office of Athletics wants women to have a more spacious gym. For that to work, it is also planning on building changing rooms near the gym for women to be more comfortable. 

The office is also planning on using the old room to include more sports facilities and to implement new ideas that can improve the sports complex for the community; they are currently planning on getting new strength and power machines.

Although some students might miss the old gym arrangement, IMC senior AbdelMoneim Hany believes there are some positives to the change. 

“I would do my workout faster because the equipment was near each other. However, the gym has become more crowded, there is no water dispenser to refill my bottle of water, I am not allowed to bring my non-AUCian friends anymore,” he bemoaned the old facilities.

“There was no space for doing any core workout and all the punching bags were removed,” he said. 

Reasso also told The Caravan that there were other changes to the sports facilities.

“The aerobics room was moved upstairs where the table tennis was located. The table tennis was moved into new, previously unused rooms on the second floor. Instead, the old aerobics room will be transformed into a ladies only gym,” he said.