Amherst's gym can be a place of extremes: one either religiously haunts its halls every day or avoids it at all costs. Often, students seem more devoted to working out than to class, tests, papers and laundry combined. It is a Turkish bath of sorts, a place to see and be seen, to socialize in sweat. Indeed, it is a favorite form of procrastination because it actually achieves something.

We acknowledge that we do have a beautiful gym and athletic facilities far superior to those of many other colleges. Upon seeing it, our parents understand where those thousands of tuition dollars go. We also realize that there are many more pressing issues than the gym's condition. Yet, because it is one of the most widely-used buildings on campus and an essential part of the daily routines of students, faculty and staff, there are a few improvements that could be alleviate some of the hassles and jams of the gym.

First of all, we propose that the gym, especially the Fitness Center, extend its hours on weekends to open earlier than 11 a.m and to stay open later than 6 p.m. on Saturday evenings. If hours are extended, then perhaps not as many people will try to use the gym at the same time, causing the annoying weekend afternoon traffic jams. Granted, students will still crowd in at peak times, but perhaps some of the congestion could be alleviated.

Building another elaborate facility to ease the demand on the Cage would be impractical, but a relatively inexpensive alternative could be to construct a bubble over some of the outdoor tennis courts. The men's and women's tennis teams could move from the Cage to those tennis courts, thus freeing up practice space for other teams. To allow more practice space for non-team affiliated individuals and groups, we recommend that LeFrak be open for more recreational use.

Equally aggravating is the hassle of getting in and out of the gym. The newly-installed security system is not serving its intended purpose; too often, the card swiper is not there or only asks certain people for their cards. To make it truly effective, it should be standardized somehow or removed, all the while keeping in mind that any new policies should remain sensitive to the issue of racial profiling in the gym.

More fanciful suggestions include putting more TVs next to the cardio-workout machines and making ice skate rentals available at the Orr Rink as well as more hours for open recreational skating. Our gym is already stellar, but a few marginal improvements could make the student body's athletic experience that much better.