By Diana Silva/reporter

The enrollment in workout classes and use of the cardio and weight rooms on campus have increased, maybe because students not only want to get fit but to save money.

Semester after semester, more students realize that choosing to take advantage of the free school facilities can help out in different ways from saving time to saving money.

Kevin Harper, NE health department chair, said the economy has affected students, making them use the school’s facilities even more.

“I think the economy has a lot to do with the increased enrollment at TCC, which, in turn, has helped us see an increase in enrollment in PHED courses,” he wrote in an e-mail.

“We also seem to have more students who aren’t enrolled in a PHED class come in simply to use our weight room, pool, cardio room or racquetball courts. From spring 2008 to spring 2009, building usage went from 11,100 to 14,900 users, and ‘visually’ it seems we have more users than the previous fall and spring semesters,” he said.

Many students have part-time, minimum-wage jobs and cannot spend $35 to $50 in monthly fees with long-term contracts to go to a private gym when they can get gym access for free at school.

Bart Desender, NE health and physical education instructor, is also aware of students’ preferences on using campus gyms to spend their money wisely.

“I think the economy has a big part on why our enrollments are up and possibly why more of them are using our gym,” he said.

SE student Shasha Ramirez says she likes using the campus gym for many reasons.

“It’s good you’re taking advantage of your tuition. It’s also convenient since I’m already here for school,” she said.

Ramirez also said working out in the school gym makes her feel more comfortable than going to a public/private gym.

NE student Yessica Correa says working and going to school makes her avoid signing contracts to a gym that she won’t have time to visit.

“It’s just easier to attend the gym on campus rather than going somewhere else and waste gas,” she said. “I do not have time to go to the gym, so I take the Zumba class during my time in school. I don’t have to go pay so much money on a private gym like LA Fitness. Instead, I try to go use the school gym between some of my classes.”

Traci Stonum, SE Campus HPE instructor, is also aware of the increase in the number of students using these facilities.

“More students are realizing that there are workout facilities on campus and that their tuition pays for them to use these facilities at any time during school hours,” Stonum said. “I know that it is a matter of convenience as well as cost. Instead of having to drive to a gym, they can easily leave class and go straight to the facilities on our campus.”

Stonum said that it is cheaper to take a class on campus than at another gym, which may have something to do with why classes are growing in size. She also said because of the good HPE staff on campus, students enjoy these classes more and many of them like to repeat the courses.

“Overall, I think that the HPE department will continue to see an increase in class sizes as well as an increase in the number of students that are using the facilities,” she said.