New recreational passes grant free access

By Nirav Akkanapragada

NEWS WRITER

The Montgomery County Department of Recreation announced that starting on Jan. 3, fitness passes at all 22 of the county’s recreation centers will be free. The free passes will provide those ages 16 or older with access to fully equipped fitness rooms, open gym activities and game rooms during regular hours. The youth passes are also free and give youth ages 14 to 15 access to fitness rooms under parent or guardian supervision. This pass does not include access to aquatic centers and will still be regularly priced for out- of-county members. To apply for these passes, a valid photo ID with an address or a current utility bill must be provided to establish proof of residency. For the youth pass, teens must have a parent fill out the ap plication and provide proof of residency.

Many RM students hold positive opin ions of the decision to offer free passes.

“For what the rec centers are, I think that as a resource to the communi ty, they should be free, and in the long run, they’ll be better for the commu nity,” sopho more Aaron Logsdon said. In the Rockville area, there are two recreation centers that students can visit: the Bauer Drive Community Recreation Center and the Nancy berships, they now have free resources and will realize and appreciate the impact of these centers,” sophomore Nethaka Jayatilake said.

The free passes indeed have led to a boost in membership, starting 2023 with around one thousand passes, compared to 40 in 2022.

The decision to promote free passes has increased Montgomery County’s focus on the physical health of its residents. However, some believe that there is still work to be done. “I feel like all rec centers should have a bus stop from a school to them because it provides students access to rec centers when school ends,” Jayatilake said.

“As of [Jan. 27], numerous countries have officially confirmed their agreement to deliver 321 heavy tanks to Ukraine,” Vadym Omelchenko, Ukraine’s ambassador to France, said on the French TV station BFM. Unlike the more easily usable, diesel-fueled Leopard 2, the M1 Abrams relies on high amounts of jet fuel. The BBC reports that they can cost over $10 million each. The rockets, or the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), travel up 150 kilometers (93 miles) with a GPS system, which now brings all of Russia’s eastern supply lines into attacking range. “The tanks will absolutely help Ukraine in their goal to recapture and defend territory,” RM Model UN captain and senior Saahil Rao said. “But this move only serves to lengthen the war... Russia doesn’t seem keen to negotiate and Ukraine insists on the return of annexed territories. These tanks will only make an already devastating war more deadly.”

In response to the decision, North Korea issued a statement on its state news source KCNA that the U.S. “is now further crossing the red line,” and that “the U.S. is the arch-criminal which poses a serious threat and challenge to the strategic security of Russia.” The statement ended by affirming that North Korea will “always stand in the same trench” with Russia.

DEC. CORRECTIONS

On page 3, the speaker of the pull quote in the Twitter article should be Anurag Nambiar and the cloud graphic is by Selena Li.

On page 4, the article about China’s zero-COVID policy should have referred to President Xi, not “President Jinping.”

On page 6, the Ticketmaster article was written by Gabrielle Orringer, not Ria Maheshwary.

On page 9, the graphic representing food from the Rockville Town Center is by Christiana Vucea.

On page 16, the graphic for the NBA article is by Christiana Vucea.