Boise State Campus Rec center reopens after five month closure

The Boise State Campus Recreation (the Rec) reopened its doors to students on Aug. 3. The reopening comes after the Campus Recreation was shut down in March due to a COVID-19 outbreak and closure of campus.

The Rec will require patrons to wear facial coverings at all times. The only time students are not required to wear a facial covering is when showering and swimming, or if working lifeguard duty as a staff member. Patrons are asked not to go to the Rec if they feel sick or have recently been in contact with someone who is sick.

“Student staff are trained on Campus Recreation’s new guidelines, protocols, operational changes and community expectations during COVID-19. Student staff will be completing the Environmental Health and Safety COVID-19 training,” wrote Campus Recreation Director Jason Hermes in an email. “Student staff are trained on American Red Cross’ new guidelines for performing CPR/first aid during COVID-19.” 

The Rec patrons are also asked to avoid physical contact with others, not to use equipment that has been marked for nonuse, disinfectant equipment before and after use and be mindful that hours of operation are subject to change. 

 All equipment and workout spaces are altered to meet physical distancing measures; and signage, floor markings and equipment modifications have all been added to the Rec.

“Some of it is definitely annoying, but I totally get it. I would rather go through the steps than someone get sick. I feel safe when I’m working out,” said Alex Fernandez, Rec patron and junior kinesiology major. “I will say I didn’t need an extra excuse not to go to the Rec, but now I have one. Working out with a mask is difficult, but at the same time it is doable.”

Items and activities available at the Rec include: swimming pool, locker room, showers, towel service, badminton, pickleball, ping pong, racquetball, weight belts, resistance bands, jump ropes, dip belts, bar pads.

Items and activities not available at the rec include: guest passes, cash transactions, food and drink sales, saunas, basketball, futsal, indoor soccer, volleyball, wallyball, boxing gloves, wheelchair basketball, athletic training.

The Rec will provide individual disinfectant bottles and towels to wipe down equipment for all patrons upon checking in. The used bottles and towels can be dropped off before leaving.

Campus Recreation staff will be placed around the gym to clean equipment and ask patrons to move to a different machine area to allow for cleaning or social distancing.

Second-year Rec employee Mekel Sanchez shared his thoughts on the reopening and the health and safety guidelines.

“I feel that working at the Rec center is safe. Everyone is required to wear a mask and everything is pretty well spaced out, especially with the Rec [where] everyone is constantly wiping down their used equipment and everything that they use,” Sanchez said. “We also clean everything every couple of hours and every night. It will be interesting to see what happens once everyone gets back to campus. I don’t really know if anyone has an answer for that.”