Since October 23, 2018, the swipe-in machine at the RAWC—also known as a turnstile—has been broken. People entering the gym or changerooms have been asked to present their T-Card to the staff at the front desk.
Anthony Sestito, the Facility Manager at the RAWC, explains that the cause behind the breakdown is the “age of the turnstile and traffic volume.” Unfortunately, the parts needed to fix the turnstile are “no longer made,” Sestito adds, but notes that “the scanner is currently functioning and is able to validate memberships [if necessary].”
For the most part, the RAWC staff have relied on a visual presentation of memberships for validity. This raises the question of security, since it is more possible for non-members to find their way in—which Sestito assures is not an issue since “staff check membership cards” and “every effort is made to ensure that the membership is valid.”
This is not the first time the machine has broken down and a combination of the “age of the unit and replacement parts not being available,” Sestito explains, is why it is still down.
In terms of replacement options, Sestito says they are “currently being evaluated.” There is no set date due to the “variety of models being considered,” but they plan to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Aside from the turnstile at the gym entrance, the absence of functioning squash courts in the RAWC have also raised questions. Sestito explains that “two squash courts have been closed due to the construction of the Meeting Place [in Davis]” and have been “out of service since early August 2018.”
The squash courts will continue to be closed, but Sestito hopes “they will be returned to service by the New Year”—when the renovations of the Meeting Place are expected to be completed. Students awaiting the reopening can look forward to one squash court returned to service as usual, while the other is being “converted into a Fitness/Virtual Fitness Room.”
Further renovations in the RAWC are being considered “as part of the budget process and ongoing review of the facility as a whole.” As for now, hold onto your squash racquets and hold up your T-Cards at the gym entrance until the New Year.
