As someone who makes an honest attempt to work on my physical health throughout the year, coming to Quinnipiac University in the fall of 2021 made things pretty tough. I learned quickly that the Recreation and Wellness Center offered to students wasn’t going to make things easy for me.

For the first three semesters of my Qunnipiac experience, I was forced to deal with a small, crowded gym. There was little equipment to go around, and poor air circulation forced the gym-going public to endure the perpetual stink emanating from every surface. I got to a point where I could only force myself to go to the gym once per week.

The one thing that kept me going was knowing that a brand-new RecWell Center was coming at the beginning of the fall 2022 semester. However, the university announced that it would take several more months for the facility to be fully ready. As a result, many students, as well as myself, began to think this would be another half-fulfilled promise from administration.

The new RecWell Center began gradually opening in August, with a large portion of the facility opening in November. As I explored it more, I’ve been slowly convinced that this is the best improvement done to the Mount Carmel campus since I became a student. It was worth the wait.

All of my complaints regarding the old gym were resolved. The gym layout is now much more spread out, allowing for more equipment and more students to use the facility without it feeling crowded. The quality of the equipment also finally feels up to par with what a university like Quinnipiac should provide. The building’s new size also eliminates all of the previously present funky smells.

Above all else, the RecWell Center is a place that makes me excited to workout again. The one time a week I went to the old building has now been bumped up to three times at the new one. I haven’t tried the new smoothie bar or participated in fitness classes yet, but I have heard nothing but good things from those who did.

This is an exciting time to be active at Quinnipiac and I can only hope that future initiatives are completed with the same love and care as the RecWell.