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YOUNGSTOWN -- Employees and students in Youngstown State University's Campus Recreation building recently said that opening it to the public will help the school financially and they don't worry about people taking up space.
The university welcomed outside visitors to use its facilities earlier in the season, hoping to generate more revenue while also expanding usage.
"We wanted to embrace the community and open up to what we had to offer," Nick Gallo, marketing and membership coordinator, said. "And we felt that if we offered out to the community, we felt that we would obviously bring more people in, and drive more money into the rec center to enable us to offer more things to the students."
Gallo continued, "If you're a community member, or an affiliate, you're coming in and paying. And that's obviously putting more money toward the bottom line. So we're going to be able to offer more classes, newer equipment and things of that nature."
Garrett Bailey, a junior marketing major and employee, said the John M. and Doris M. Andrews Student Recreation and Wellness Center is a fun place to work with a lot of opportunity to meet people.
"Obviously there is some give and take," Bailey added. "There's bad apples in every bunch. But I think it gives more opportunities, not only for the community, but for students, and funds coming in. I think there are more positives than negatives, by a wide margin."
Students said they don't feel that the rec center opening up to public would cause any problems, but did mention how it could lead to possible clutter.
Junior Aidan Fickenworth, a student and supervisor at the rec building said, "I love it here. It's a great environment and the people I work with here are all amazing. I think it may be kind of hard on us because there are a lot of people who come in here and love to work out. It's their lifestyle. I think that kind of takes that away from about 53% of the campus. This is a very safe space for a lot of people. But I think it's good because it will get more people in here and more ways to interact."
Another student, Ella Seuberling, has been working at the rec center for a year and she said opening the building will be nice for getting students to use the rock-climbing wall, which is her work station.
"I think it'll be nice to get more people at the rock wall, specifically, because there's not a ton of students that come," Seuberling said. "And the ones who do are usually just trying it for the first time, just to see what it's like. But hopefully it gets more people to the rock wall."
Seuberling, a senior forensic biology student and women's soccer player, is certified in belaying and rappelling.
YSU's rec center houses one of the tallest rock walls in Ohio, standing at 53 feet. The program mix includes eight climbing routes, 46 feet of rappelling platform, and one-third of the lower wall is designed for bouldering, according to the school's website.
Junior Isaiah Batchelor considers the rec center a safe space for students.
"If you open it up to the public, it's going to get more busy than it already is," he said. "But I think it's good in terms of keeping the community healthy. I don't think it's terrible, it just has to be done in the right way. If they decide to expand and make it a bit bigger, it may work out even better with more room."
Batchelor, an accounting major, said "I'm sure it's going to bring in a lot of money for them. And I'm sure that was a part of their decision. But I feel like they have to decide whether they value money or students' opinion about it."
If you go …
Pricing for new memberships at the YSU Rec Center are:
• Yearly membership without parking, $300
• Yearly membership with parking, $600
• Semester membership without parking, $125
• Semester membership with parking, $200
• Affiliate membership, $200
• Affiliate with parking, $280