Many students have visited our campus and have been told about the gym and full-sized pool in the Stern Center.  I remember that distinctly from my tour. I also remember visiting Stern for the first time as a freshman and finding a few treadmills and a sad excuse for a free weight gym. So I checked out the pool. It was closed, and had variable weekly hours.  Why is our college unable to provide its student body with an adequate, student-only gym?
Last year, the College made the East Shore Athletic Club available to students, but it is far from adequate.  Seven treadmills, one of which is currently broken, and a limited supply of free weights and exercise machines is hardly acceptable for a college with over 10,000 undergraduate students. Not to mention that there is almost always a wait to use the equipment. Other ESAC locations are better equipped, but only accessible to students with cars.   
The College must provide its students with an easy and convenient way to work out.  Clemson has a brand-new two-floor facility with more equipment, six basketball courts, a rock climbing wall, an indoor track, lounge and 584 men’s and women’s lockers along with other things expected in an adequate college gym. Why does Clemson, which has only 4,700 more students than C of C, have a state-of-the-art gym and we do not?
Some may argue that there is no space, or it is too expensive, or that a gym is not needed because ESAC is suitable.  Granted the College is set in downtown Charleston, but I find it hard to believe that the College could find no space if it actually made building a gym a top priority.  As for the expense, tough cookies.  It is the responsibility of the College to provide its students with a place to exercise.  Besides this, showing off a state-of-the-art exercise facility is a great draw for potential C of C students.  ESAC is not suitable.  It is small, crowded and its lockers make it far too easy for phones and wallets to be stolen. Besides this, it does not promote the kind of college pride that a student-only gym would.
The need for a gym has not been ignored by the College.  The College’s strategic plan, which has set as its goal to become a nationally recognized university on the undergraduate and graduate levels, states, “Academic success is most likely to occur when students’ life needs are being met as well. Residence life, state-of-the-art recreation and fitness facilities… all work together to make the full campus experience enriching and supportive of intellectual growth.” This is true, and although stated as a goal in the strategic plan, it must soon become a reality on campus.