By: Lisa Coffell, Vanguard Staff Writer

If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

The renovations made to the Ryder Center since January may have SVSU students and the community rethinking this well-known cliché.

The changes made over the past eight months have added a new wing to the building and additional equipment for students. The additions include three multi-purpose courts, a second-floor fitness room, an additional weight room, a suspended track and a student lobby.

In the past, Trevor Hoskins, a finance junior, had a difficulty time finding open court time for basketball.

“Before we had to work around conflicting schedules with the volleyball team and class schedules,” he said. “But now there should be more availability.”

Director of Campus Recreation Aaron Mowen shared Hoskins’ enthusiasm for additional space.

“The changes will allow [Campus Recreation] to increase the quality of our programs, and there will always be at least one court open for open recreation,” he said.

The addition of a new weight room will also help reduce the crowds and provide new workout equipment for students.

David Osher, a physical education senior, is pleased with the addition.

“Space is not as crowded anymore,” he said. “The weight room is also more available time-wise.”

Another area that has expanded is the fitness room, which has moved to a different location on the second floor and added more workout machines.

Accounting junior Laura Xu didn’t come to the Ryder Center much in past years because it had always been difficult for her to find machines. Now she utilizes the new machines and the elevated track, which measures one-ninth of a mile around.

Mowen also said that about ten additional cardio machines should be added by early September.

Despite all of the positives, Osher, among others, questioned the lack of equipment in the new weight room. But while there is some empty space, it will not be that way for long.

“There will be 14-15 more pieces of equipment in the weight room by the end of September,” Mowen said.

Mowen also shared that the new renovations will allow for a few new programs. One of these additions is a free program specifically catered to freshmen, “Fit Into College.” The program lasts nine weeks and was designed to help freshmen have a healthy lifestyle.

“We will have senior exercise science students working with freshmen,” Mowen said. “Each week there will be a different focus, and not all of them are based around exercise.”

For more information on this program, students can attend an information night at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, at the Ryder Center.