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Razing the floor

editorial cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak
editorial cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak

Everyone on campus who has walked up the Student Center stairs knows the University of La Verne is in need of a new gym floor. There is only one problem in replacing the unsafe, deteriorating floor, the cost.

The cost of the gym floor that the Athletic Department is looking at is approximately $165,000. Sure, that should not seem like a lot of money for the University of La Verne, when the cost of tuition for La Verne students is $15,500. But when the gym floor is about 10th or 12th on a long list of priorities for the entire institution, $15,500 quickly withers away to other “more important” projects. Exactly who decides what is more important is the question that we pose.

Safety should be a primary concern. Faculty, staff and students use the floor for pick-up basketball and volleyball games. A number of general education and physical education classes are held there. In all these instances, injuries – both immediate and slow – developing-are happening.

Every season, more and more athletes are hurting themselves on the gym floor. The floor is made up of rubber and plastic, rather then wood like most gym floors. As the years have gone by, the plastic has slowly been tearing off, and the rubber underneath the plastic has hardened. Because of the hard surface the floor has no give and running, bouncing and jumping are difficult maneuvers to do. The lack of cushion makes the floor hard to play on and causes athletes to become sore throughout their bodies and for injuries to increase. Just last year, six men on the volleyball team reported knee tendonitis. All six never had knee problems before they played at La Verne. Is that a coincidence, are each of these men just now realizing that their ages of 19 to 22 are finally catching up with them?

“Gym floors are designed to absorb shock, and our floor doesn’t,” said junior Chris Peterson, a member of the volleyball team. “When you jump on that floor, it is like landing on concrete.”

Athletic Director Jim Paschal said a new floor is No. 1 on his priority list. “Within the Athletic Department, the floor is the highest priority. We all want what we think would be best for our department.”

This past summer, Brian Worley, director of facilities management, women’s basketball coach Julie Kline, men’s basketball coach Terry Boesel and Paschal flew to Phoenix, Ariz., to visit Robins Floor Company, where they tried out new gym floors.

“In Phoenix we were able to bounce balls and jump on a number of different floor systems,” said Paschal.

Paschal has met with a committee discussing the future project, but he finds it difficult to see a new floor any time soon because of the money. “Projects can be financed by the plant fund, or money can be put into a fundraiser project,” said Paschal. It looks like this is what the department will have to do if it wants a new floor any time soon.

Why should the Athletic Department have to go about raising money when the issue here is bigger than it may seem? As soon as there was talk about building a new swimming facility the institution jumped at the idea. It found $340,000 for the new project. Sure, a new swimming pool means La Verne can finally start a new swim program. It will pay for itself in the long run because enrollment will increase, bringing in more money.

That is fine, but what about the current problems that need help? Isn’t the health of current and future athletes more important than a new swimming facility, with whom the University has to share with the city of La Verne and Bonita High School? A new gym floor is not for looks, or the fact of just having something new. It is something that this school needs, not five years from now, not two years from now, but right now. This issue should not be overlooked. It is not fair for athletes to have to pay money to play on that floor and it is not fair that the Athletic Department should have to raise money for this project. ULV should consider it a priority enough to find the money and get on the ball about this project. There is no time to waste. Every passing season means another student getting hurt because of that floor and that is not fair.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

Stephanie Lesniak
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