The University signed a $100,000 contract with Gym Source equipment company for a new weight room, scheduled to be finished around Thanksgiving, after addressing Student Union concerns, University administrators told the Justice. In a campuswide poll last May, students voted to spend $100,000 of the Student Union's rollover money from the Student Activities Fee toward a new weight room in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center.

All current weight room equipment will be replaced with Cybex and other brands of equipment, Assistant Athletic Director Robin Seidman '00 said, amounting to about 60 items. Once the equipment arrives in the next six to eight weeks, he said, it will take a day to remove the old weights and a day and a half to install the new equipment in the room, which will also be re-painted during the renovation.

The University received bids from three vendors and decided on Gym Source, with an exact final price for the new equipment of $100,000, according to Union Treasurer Max Wallach '09.

"We were getting a little bit nervous because the price of steel was going up," Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said, adding that he was happy the University could close the deal before prices rose again.

Sawyer said that vendors were originally asked to bid at a few different prices. He said Union members expected contractors' various bids to be farther apart in price than they were and to begin at a price closer to $50,000. This caused some delay in the start of the project because the bids were all very close to $100,000.

He said administrators then explained to Union members that $50,000 was an unrealistic price to expect because weight rooms available for that price would not fulfill quality expectations.

Athletics Director Sheryl Sousa '90 said that the Athletics department spoke with other universities and undertook site visits before choosing the vendor, over two other bids at the beginning of the semester. In meetings over the past month, Sawyer and Sousa said, administration officials and Union members finalized the exact terms of the plan.

"I was impressed with how organized the Union was throughout the process," Sousa said.

Seidman said the Athletics department plans to move free weights into the Clubs Sports Room next door to the current weight room to relieve space issues during peak hours between 3 and 7 p.m. In addressing one of the Student Union's concerns, Athletics will assign all groups that currently use the room to other locations in Gosman. Student Union President Jason Gray '10 noted that Adagio Dance Company frequently uses that space.

"I think the room will be a little less intimidating because there will be more space . so hopefully that will entice more students to come down and use the weight room," Seidman said.

Sousa said that having a larger space would also improve safety for individuals using the machines.

Student Union members also expressed concerns that the Athletics department might create restricted hours in the weight room for varsity athletes who currently have a separate weight room, Sawyer said.

"There will no longer be a varsity weight room," Seidman said. "That was one of the first things we agreed upon with the student representation that the [new] weight rooms will be open use for everyone." Seidman said that with the addition of the second room, enough space will be available for everyone to exercise. Gray, University and Athletics Administrators emphasized that the weight room will be open to the entire University community at all times.

Sousa noted that much of the equipment dates back to 1992, when Gosman first opened.

"I think a lot of the students are excited about . having Olympic lifting racks and platforms," Seidman said. He said there will be weight machines that are easy to use for people who have never used weights.

Gray said the Union discussed having Athletics staff provide lessons on weight training to students unfamiliar with the equipment. "I think that it's really important, since we're creating this new space that is going to be student-funded, we wanted all students to have the opportunity to learn how to use it," he said.

Sousa said that Athletics will offer a new beginners physical education class next semester in addition to the group fitness classes offered to the entire Brandeis community.

Seidman noted that one previous concern had been theft of weights stemming from incidents in the current weight room, and added that Athletics was planning to provide more supervision of the room. "Hopefully the students will respect that the Student Union provided this money for a new weight room," he said.