On most days, Liam Petri, a sophomore at SUNY-ESF, can be found doing circuits at Syracuse University’s newest gym.

Petri started going to The Barnes Center at The Arch in mid-July to “get back on the grind.” He uses it for physical therapy every week, he said. He went after class last Friday to the third floor gym, his favorite spot to exercise. 

He added it’s become part of his weekly routine. Now that the entire center is open to the public, Petri and his three roommates have new plans. 

“We’re going to go downstairs. We’re going to do rock climbing for a bit. We want to try out the esports room,” said Petri. “We’re going to have a playdate. A whole playdate at Archbold.”

The Arch fully opened Friday after 18 months of construction as a multi-floor consolidated health and wellness complex. Renovations to Archbold Gymnasium, the original structure, cost $50 million and added about 7,000 square feet. Archbold was built in 1908 and previously renovated in 1989.

The Daily Orange spoke with more than 100 Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF students on campus about The Arch’s opening. Whether students said they were excited about pet therapy or rock climbing, a majority agreed that the center was a welcome addition to campus. 

“There’s a lot of different opportunities there no matter what you want to do,” said Porter Holt, a freshman broadcast and digital journalism major. 

Fitness 

Kayla Handler, a freshman in the School of Education, and Ashley Schoenfeld, a junior in the School of Information Studies, said they’ve incorporated The Arch’s exercise classes into their regular schedules. 

Having the center on campus increases the desire to have a healthier lifestyle, Handler said. They’re, “fun classes so it makes you want to work out,” she said. 

The Barnes Center at The Arch opened Friday after 18 months of construction. Will Fudge | Contributing Photographer

Kiki Pompee, a freshman neuroscience major, said the multiple floors of exercise machines and various fitness activities, such as rock climbing and workout classes, make the facility appealing more people.

“I feel like it accommodates everyone and their gym experience,” Pompee said.

Sophomore Anna Genter walked by The Arch every day on her way to the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. She was “pleasantly surprised” when she walked in the facility, and now goes five to six days every week.

Facilities like this are important to have at large schools like SU, she said. “When you go to a big school like this, you kind of have to have resources like this.”

Several students said they were disappointed about the lack of mirrors in the center’s exercise spaces, particularly in its weight-lifting area. They said not being able to see their form makes it difficult to see if they’re doing an exercise or lifting weights correctly. 

“I just can’t work out the same without them,” said Ashley Tubens, a sophomore biology major. “I went right back to Ernie because you’ve got to see the waveform and everything.” 

For having a national sports reputation, SU’s old fitness facilities were “terrible,” said Zach Liechtman, a sophomore sport management major. The Arch is spacious and innovative, everything one would want in a workout facility, he said. 

Health services 

Many students are in favor of the facility’s consolidation of health and wellness services. With multiple services offered in the same building, it’s easier and more convenient to both fulfill medical and mental health needs, said Makaela Molly, a freshman communication sciences and disorders and neuroscience dual major.

“If you’re anywhere on campus, it’s generally centralized where you can get to it from any building. And it’s easy to access, it’s easy to look for,” she said. “There’s a gym, the mental health area, the actual doctors’ offices, the pharmacy — it’s all in one spot.”

Adyson Burke, a freshman public health major, said having all health services in one place could make it easier for students to get help. SU’s Health Services and Counseling Center were previously located on Waverly and Walnut Avenues, respectively. 

Renovations to Archbold Gymnasium, the original structure, cost $50 million and added about 7,000 square feet. Will Fudge | Contributing Photographer

While he said the facility was beautiful, Justin Andrade, a senior accounting major, said the health center is not as centrally located to the majority of student housing in its new location at The Arch. The health center is now closer to the freshman dorms, but for Andrade, it takes 15 minutes for him to walk to the center from his off-campus housing. 

“As someone who’s sick who lives off campus, it’s a troop to go to there,” Andrade said.

The health center’s former location was easier to access, he said. Now, he has to go through campus security tolls — the security personnel always tell people to turn around, he added. 

Student experience 

Students said the center would help to improve their experiences on campus. Hannah Fox, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said it was beneficial having those resources during her transition onto campus. 

“It’s obviously going to be hard, but there’s all those services there so that’s helpful,” she said. 

Haley Tomasso, a sophomore public health major, said some of her friends get smoothies from Otto’s Juice Box every day. Though she’s only used the center’s pharmacy and health services, she said The Arch has everything a student would need.

A popular service at The Arch is the pet therapy rooms. Students said they wanted to see and pet the dogs. Margo Moran, a freshman communication and rhetorical studies major, said she was really excited about the service.

“My friends and I have been trying to figure out a time that we can all make it because we all really miss our pets,” Moran said. 

For senior Gianni Villegas, working out at the facility clears his mind and has become his routine. He uses it for a “release,” he said. Over the summer, he started doing meditation and yoga and saw a therapist to clear his mind at The Arch.

“It’s like a haven for that, to clear your mind, which is so important to have in an environment like this,” Villegas said. 

Published on September 18, 2019 at 12:21 am

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