Nelson Fitness Center extends hours to 11 p.m.

UNIVERISTY NEWS Change will last for rest of semester, follows efforts to expand gym access

BY KELVIN JIANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER

As of April 3, the Nelson Fitness Center will remain open until 11 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays, a 30 minute extension from the previous closing time of 10:30 p.m. The change will remain in effect for the remainder of the semester, Deputy Athletics Director for Administration Jake Silverman wrote in an email to The Herald.

According to Undergraduate Council of Students president Ricky Zhong ’23, students with classes or meetings at night may find it challenging to go to the Nelson afterward since their time could be cut short by the center’s closing.

“Lots of clubs have meetings around 7 to 9 p.m.,” he said. “And if (students) only get to work out for a little bit after that, it’s not really optimal.”

Nicholas Vadasz ’24, who is in the Brown University Orchestra, said that he “traditionally has practices from 6 to either 9 or 10 p.m., and if (he) gets out of rehearsal at 9:45 or 10 p.m., going to the gym really isn’t an option.”

The change will “definitely make me open to going a bit later in the afternoon or in the night,” Vadasz added.

The increased hours, Zhong said, will hopefully accommodate students who prefer to go to the gym at night while reducing congestion.

According to Silverman, the Nelson’s recreation staff has worked hard to make the adjustment. “Our strategic goal that guides our work every day is to make Brown recreational facilities and programming as accessible as possible and remove barriers to entry to promote physical wellness on Brown University's campus,” he wrote.

Zhong first reached out to administrators about an hours extension in mid-February. “They were really receptive, and within a week, they