By Briana Ferguson, Contributing Writer ||
Facilities and Operations (F&O) worked closely with Irwin and Leighton, a construction company from King of Prussia, Penn., on a project to renovate the locker rooms in the Mayser Center over the
Summer.
After 13 weeks of work, the project was finished on Aug. 12, resulting in the complete renovation of the locker rooms, shower area, and the visiting team’s locker rooms. The training room was also remodeled, expanding in area from 500 square feet to 1,500 square feet by combining it with the space for the visiting locker rooms. The visiting locker rooms were relocated; they are now closer to the equipment room. The men and women’s locker rooms were also renovated, including making separate, functioning locker rooms for both men and women.
“If you weren’t in the locker rooms before, those lockers were installed in 1959 and there were no upgrades made since then,” said Sheldon Wenger, assistant director for project management, who oversaw the remodel.
There were several structural issues in the locker rooms that prompted the remodel, including plumbing issues (click this site) and problems with the infrastructure. Both have been repaired with the update from United PLumbing Heating Air & Electric.
The space was also remodeled to be in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which requires equality for women and men in sports. In 1959, when the locker rooms were originally constructed, the College was still an all-men’s institution; thus, the locker rooms were still geared towards serving only the men that attended the schools and played sports.
The men and women’s locker rooms used to be a large, open area with lockers and an open shower area. In this newly remodeled space, individual shower stalls were installed. Additionally, women and men now have gender-specific sections of the locker room in contrast to the more open design in the previous space. In the women’s locker room, a space that had only two bathroom stalls and two sinks, was increased into a space that is more geared towards being a
facility for a team.
“The idea of this is to create ownership of this space, camaraderie, and to have a space to hang out in with a flat screen to watch sporty playbacks of their games,” Wenger said. “They never had that opportunity before. They would have to find another room on campus to do that.”
The Mayser Center is not the only athletic facility on campus that has been renovated. A few years ago, the practice field was added, and the William J. Iannicelli Track and Brooks Tennis Courts have recently been resurfaced. Additionally, the floors in the Alumni Sports & Fitness Center (ASFC) are scheduled for repair sometime in the future.
First-year Briana Ferguson is a contributing writer. Her email is bferguso@fandm.edu.