The new weight room in the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center, which features 14 new free weights and 17 new machines, officially opened Jan. 5 after students voted last year in a specific one-time vote to use the Student Union's $100,000 in rollover funds from the Student Activities Fee to remodel the weight room and refurbish it with new equipment.Students voted to remodel the weight room, because much of its equipment was outdated and the room itself was in need of remodeling.

"Most of the equipment was as old as the building itself," Assistant Director of Athletics Robin Seidman '99 said. He explained that all the weights and dumbbells are new, but that the University kept some of the bars and attachments on the machines. "There is a pretty stark contrast between the old and new equipment," he said.

There are 17 new select-rise Cybex machines, in which the weights are self-contained and the users select the amount of weight they would like to use. All of this equipment was installed in the initial weight room space; the former club sport room, which was adjacent to the initial weight room, will be for free weights.

"Free weights and dumbbells take up a lot of space, which previously made it very difficult to navigate the weight room. Expanding to the club sports room will make it significantly easier for people to use the weight room without feeling overcrowded," said Seidman, adding that the renovations make the weight room look "significantly different overall."

Seidman also said that in remodeling the weight room, the administration intended to make it more user-friendly. "The goal was definitely to design a weight room that fits the needs of all students to enable everyone to take advantage of the new equipment," he said. All of the machines now have instructions so students will be able to use them more easily, which Seidman believes will make the weight room a "little less intimidating" for students not necessarily accustomed to such machines.

In addition, Seidman said that the Athletics faculty is planning to put together at least four sessions of introductory classes for students to orient themselves to the new weight room. Any student is eligible to attend, but the dates have not yet been verified.

Student Union President Jason Gray '10 said that he thinks the idea of weight training sessions will be well received by the student body. "I think more students will definitely take advantage of these classes, especially people that haven't used the weight room before, to learn how to properly use the equipment," he said.

Prior to this renovation, there were two weight rooms: the varsity weight room, which was strictly for athletes, and a general weight room for the rest of the student body. Seidman said that Brandeis surveyed peer institutions like Amherst College, Babson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Trinity College, Tufts University and Williams College and found that many of them used only one weight room for both the athletes and the rest of the students, so it decided to consolidate the two rooms by moving some of the weight equipment to the club sports room. Both rooms were also repainted. Student dance groups like Adagio, who previously used the club sports room to practice, will now use the former varsity weight room, according to Seidman.

The weight room was initially intended to be remodeled during Thanksgiving break, but the construction was postponed until winter break to minimize the time the gym would have to be closed. The administrative staff of the Athletics department oversaw the installation, but Gymsource, the company that sold the new equipment to Brandeis, actually installed it throughout the duration of the break.

Seidman said that the feedback has been very positive so far and that students have been using the weight room since its opening. "So far everyone seems happy with the results, and I hope that continues. I hope it is a place the student body is happy with, and that it attracts more students to work out," he said. He also said that students respect the new equipment and keep it in the weight room. "In the past we have had too many incidents of stolen weights. All of the new equipment was purchased for the benefit of the entire Brandeis community, and I hope the community does not steal dumbbells and weights from the Athletic Center."

Gray said that he thinks "it looks really good, and I'm glad we were able to get it done. We now have quality equipment in the weight room, and I think it is a better option for students who want to use the equipment."

Ralph Harary '09, said that "overall, I really like it, especially the new dumbbells and the extra space.