“I think the athletic facilities are a microcosm of what Guilford is trying to do,” said Vice President for Enrollment and Campus Life Randy Doss. Recently, about $4 million has been spent on campus improvements, $125,000 of that on the athletic facilities.
“When people come on campus they immediately gauge how it is going at your school by the way things appear,” said Doss. “There have been a lot of years when (the athletic facilities) have not been touched.”
As of the fall semester, the larger renovations of Founders, Duke and the athletic facilities, along with more detailed reconstructions, such as new rocking chairs in front of the library and new windows in Bryan, English and Dana, all contribute to campus enhancements that Doss is hoping will give Guilford’s visitors a better first impression.
Renovations to the athletic facilities include a new weight room, which was converted from the racquetball courts and is divided into two separate rooms.
The racquetball courts were transformed to promote more usage from non-athletes.
“Sometimes people were not comfortable in the former weight room with a large presence of student athletes. Renovations provide more space and equipment,” said Sports Information Director and Assistant Athletic Director Dave Walters.
“The facilities were renovated with the idea of more people in the community being able to use the facilities,” said Walters. “The new facilities will benefit student athletes, but it is not a benefit exclusive to them. I believe the renovations will improve the well-being of the community.” The new weight rooms are a great way for non-athletes to stay fit.
“(Renovations) are an extension of trying to provide well-being to the College. You just can’t do academics all the time; you have to have an outlet,” said Doss.
Additional renovations include carpeting, which kills odors, and freshly painted walls in hallways. In the cardio room there are changes in the floor covering and a new door from the hallway. The floor in the Ragan Brown Field House and Alumni Gym has been sanded. New lines, logos and entranceways have been added to both these areas. The locker rooms have been repainted. Also, there is an improved laundry service for the athletes.
The windows and air conditioning in the Alumni Gym have been replaced. The air conditioning in the gym had been broken for six years. The gym also received its first paint job since it was built in the 1940’s. “We decided to keep the original ceiling to keep that old look,” said the PE Center Manager, Mike Merkel.
“When the YMCA left in March of 2003 and Guilford took over the facilities on April 1, we started to look at what we needed,” he said. “I thought they were just horrible conditions.”
“Randy Doss, Jon Varnell and Brian Wenger were all catalysts in getting the ultimate funds in getting the big ticket items done,” said Merkel.
Many of the renovations were taken care of personally by Merkel. “We could complain and wait; instead, we just did them ourselves,” Merkel said.
With the help of Assistant Basketball Coach Nick Black and Brian Wenger, Merkel painted many of the hallways and locker rooms. Wenger was involved with the oversight of the facilities renovations. “We just rolled up our sleeves and started,” Merkel said.
Many hours of personal labor contributions were made to the renovations to the facilities.
“I could not even tell you how many hours I spent. We spent 78 weeks and some weeks we worked for 70 hours a week,” said Merkel.
Since the athletic facilities have reopened Merkel has noticed, “The number of people coming (to the gym) is dramatically higher.”
Katie Byrum, a junior, said, “I really like the new facilities, but during peak hours, they are just too overcrowded. They still need more machines.”
More machines are in the agenda for continuing renovations. A new cable crossover machine is scheduled to arrive in the beginning of October.
“To keep the gym fresh we need a couple of new pieces of equipment each year,” said Doss.
The renovations for the athletic facilities will continue in the years to come, with renovations to the pool and further improvements in the cardio room.
The recent changes are dramatic differences. “It is kind of cool to sit back and look at all the improvements,” said Merkel.