The Student Government Association recently passed legislation that would keep the Basler Center for Physical Activity open until midnight on its Monday-Thursday schedule. Along with this, the CPA will hold weekend hours on Saturday and Sunday on both Labor Day and Martin Luther King weekends during the 2011-2012 school year.The extended hours will be on a seven-week trial run that begins following spring break to see how it is used and received by students.

Sen. Matthew Huffines, a co-sponser off this legislation, believes it was received well by the SGA and seems to be something students want at the CPA.

Huffines said that he has heard many students talking about how they wish the CPA was open longer hours. Along with this, the majority of the employees that he talked to at the CPA said that they also felt that this would be a move in the right direction.

“As our campus continues to grow, extended hours will accommodate for different schedules,” said Huffines.

Sen. Donovan Reed, co-sponsor of this legislation, said that this would be very beneficial to the university as well because of how quickly ETSU is growing and how the CPA being open longer could only help the university.

“As we continue to grow, more and more students are staying on the weekends,” Reed said.

Attorney General Jacob Baggett, author of the legislation, said Lynn Nester, director of campus recreation, was in full support of the legislation.

Nester said this was all the students’ idea and they approached her regarding the legislation. She is supportive of the trial run, but said certain criteria need to be met before it becomes a full-time schedule change for the CPA.

Nester said the CPA would be using a counting system during the trial run to see how many students are utilizing the center during these later hours.

The trial run is not only looking at the number of students using the CPA.

Nester said it is also about how much money is needed to run the facility this late. “We want to make sure, within our budget, we can pay for the staffing to stay open until midnight,” she said.

Regardless of budget numbers, SGA senators are happy about this change in hours because of their hectic schedules.

Sen. Mohammad Sabri said this was a great idea and that it will work out the best for his schedule.

“I normally go at random times and this allows for me to go whenever I have time,” Sabri said.

Sen. Nicki Zaveri said it is a great thing and that extra hour could be the difference between rushing a workout and actually getting something out of her time spent at the CPA.

“If you get done later in the day, you don’t have time to finish a workout,” Zaveri said. “Since they will be closing at midnight, you can finish your workout as well as avert the rush hour.”

“It will allow for a slower pace and the opportunity to get a more balanced workout,” Zaveri said.

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