(Sidney Hollingsworth/The Daily Campus)
When planning on going to the gym, expect to get an extra workout. Instead of parking in front of the gym, Dedman members have to park at a different location and walk a little bit farther.
Renovations are currently taking place around SMU’s Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports.
The parking lot located on Airline Road is no longer available. All Dedman members now have access to park in the Moody, Binkley and Meadows garages.
William Ehling, the executive director of recreational sports, said the closure of the parking lot is due to exciting renovations for the construction of five new residence halls.
The five residence halls are part of an ambitious plan to expand the university’s academic community. The first halls will open in two years.
SMU student Lucia Carr doesn’t mind going the extra distance to get to the gym. She thinks the five new residence halls are important for SMU to have on campus.
“I’m excited to see the new residence halls. It doesn’t bother me that the parking lot is closed. I used to drive, but now I run to the gym and enjoy the extra workout and extra time outside,” Carr said.
However, some students have raised concerns about walking back from the gym at night.
“I know it’s an oxymoron that I drive to the gym when I’m there to workout, but I feel uncomfortable walking back to my house in the dark,” SMU sophomore Jilian Rossow said.
While some students question their safety walking to and from the gym at night, Ehling said that safety will remain a top concern at SMU.
He suggested that students take advantage of Park ‘N Pony’s Giddy Up service for late night rides. In situations of danger, he recommended that students call university police.
Tori DeClaris, an SMU student who lives off-campus, is not happy with the closing of the parking lot.
“I paid for a student parking permit for the sole purpose of being able to park at the gym without knowing that it would be closed for half the year,” DeClaris said.
She believes that Park ‘N Pony should have done a better job of informing people about the renovations before construction started.
The outside community that pays for a membership at Dedman is increasingly frustrated.
But, there are alternatives for these members.
There is a new Dedman shuttle service that is free and runs on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shuttle transports Dedman members from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. to and from the Dedman Center entrance and the Lloyd All-Sports Center. The shuttle stops at each location about every eight to 10 minutes.
The shuttle also picks up members from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to and from the mustangs statue, the Dedman Center entrance, the Lloyd All-Sports Center, the Main Quad flagpole and the Owen Fine Arts Center.
The shuttle stops at these locations about every 15 minutes.
For those not used to SMU accommodations, any service is seen as a positive.
“Wake Forest didn’t have these shuttle services. I think it is really nice that SMU offers them, and it’s a great way for Dedman to accommodate their members during the renovations,” Ashley Anderson, an SMU transfer student, said.
While the closing of the parking lot has been problematic, Dedman and other SMU organizations have done their best to accommodate those who want to work out as long as they don’t mind a little walk.
