Gym membership for all students

By Katie Finnegan

Published in SIN Newspaper - January 2012

Kingfisher Building on the grounds of NUIG

At the Clubs Captain meeting held early last week, the subject of Universal Gym membership was brought up once again. The University is very keen to push this, more-so than last year.

According to Eamonn Flynn, NUIG Clubs Captain, the proposal is to increase the student levy, ‘by no more than €50’ per year and is not set to be raised over the coming years. This would be in addition to the €224 levy currently paid by students. This in turn would remove the current 250 euro student charge for membership to the gym on the university grounds.

The introduction of universal gym membership would entitle every student to use the facilities in the Kingfisher. According to SU President, Emmet Connolly; “extensive renovations would need to be made to the gym to accommodate increased numbers and must occur before students are asked to pay an increased levy.”

 This was confirmed at the Clubs Captains meeting by Eamonn Flynn who said that there is in fact a proposal to extend the current building as well as making some changes to the inside of the building. The addition of a dedicated clubs area is being looked at.

The €50 levy would not be brought in until final works on the building would be completed, which, if it goes ahead, would hopefully be completed for the start of the academic year in September 2013.

Currently, a petition is being signed in favour of this proposal, and if the signatures are received, ‘a comprehensive proposal regarding such a deal will be put before the student body by referendum in mid-to-late February” said Emmet Connolly.

This proposal has been met with mixed reaction from the students with many for and many against the proposal. It is not the first time that the University has attempted to introduce universal membership for all students. One third year arts student, Sarah O’Connor, explained how she felt that it was unnecessary to introduce more fees ‘when most people will probably never use it. It’s only going to benefit a handful of people’. David Coyle, a final year chemistry student feels slightly differently, “If the college, and Kingfisher stick to these terms this can only benefit the student body. As it stands, there's a huge, modern facility on our campus - that we're paying a levy towards - but can't use without paying for.”