You step inside and hand your card over to the Yates Memorial Field House staff member. Then it hits you. The sweltering air overwhelms you. (Xanax bars) It’s damp. It’s humid. It’s as hot as hell. Maybe even hotter. It continues as you take your first step down the stairs, and sweat already starts beading on your forehead before you’ve even lifted a weight.
On May 8, the University’s Board of Directors will be deciding whether or not to approve plans to add air conditioning to the main court area of Yates. We hope they’ll answer with an emphatic “yes.”
According to Yates Memorial Field House Director Jim Gilroy, “The only objection would be, ‘Do we have the money?’” The proposed changes also include new lighting and repainting, and are expected to cost a total of $2,687,000.
The improvements will be paid for with the Yates reserve fund, which is supported by the fee that all Georgetown undergraduates must pay every year. Making improvements to make Yates more comfortable for students seems like an excellent way to use the money students are mandated to pay.
And it’s not just a matter of comfort. Carol Day, Director of Health Education Services, explains that athletes who exercise in hot environments must be extra careful to pay attention to their fluids to stay hydrated. If you’re not hydrated, working out in an environment like Yates sans air conditioning is not particularly prudent.
The proposed additions have already been approved by the University’s User’s Group and its Core Group. The Board of Directors should follow suit and approve the construction. Any excuse not to is just a bunch of hot air.
