Monmouth's Trotter Fitness Complex Rose to Fall's COVID Challenges
Monmouth, IL (12/17/2020) — Overall usage was down slightly at Monmouth College's Trotter Fitness Complex during the fall semester, but that didn't keep the director of the complex, Brian Woodard, from giving the campus community high marks.
"If this were an exam, I'd have to give them an A or A-," said Woodard of his student-worker staff and the college community. "Our student-workers impressed me with how diligent they were in sticking to the plan. We did have a few hiccups, but that was primarily due to the scheduling app in the early going. We had many more positives than negatives during the fall semester."
Facing a pandemic, Woodard began the semester by implementing a variety of changes, both in the physical layout of the facility and the allowable number of individuals in Trotter at any one time. Initially limited to an hourly maximum of 10 in the weight area and 10 in the aerobic area, the allowable number eventually grew as the semester progressed and the Trotter staff and patrons maintained safe standard protocols.
"We averaged around 115 per day, which is actually a little more than we expected," reported Woodard. "Professor (Kari) Shimmin and her class assisted with the historical head count, and in a normal year, we'd be in the 170 to 180 range."
More than one factor played into the drop in usage. Monmouth's athletic teams, normally heavy users of the facility, saw their fall seasons canceled, thus reducing the usual overflow. Woodard believes the rest of the campus community was in an adjustment phase.
"A lot of people were still figuring out what they could and could not do," explained Woodard. "The campus community, I think, is still navigating the COVID protocols."
Woodard stressed, even with the restrictions, the facility had steady use.
"The weekday mornings from around 6 to 9 and then in the evenings from 6 to 9 we would be maxed out on the number of people we could have in Trotter," he explained. "By the end of the semester, we had increased to 16 per hour for each of the two sections of Trotter, so we were at COVID capacity much of the time and were still able to maintain social distancing. There was never a time where we felt uncomfortable with the usage and felt like we needed to pull back."
Lessons learned from the fall semester has Woodard and his staff well-prepared for the spring semester, which will begin Jan. 25.
"We'll probably start the spring semester off exactly how we did this fall," predicted Woodard of the capacity limit by appointment only. "A lot will depend on what changes happen statewide with any new guidelines. We're following the CDC guidelines. We don't want to put anyone at risk."
By the time the new semester begins, Monmouth's students will have had two months away from campus. That's good timing in Woodard's view.
"The break comes at a good time," he said. "You have to worry about all the extra contacts over the holidays. That increases the students' - and the faculty and staff's - bubble which in turn creates more risk of infection. Having almost three weeks after Christmas and New Year's Day to really have an opportunity to basically quarantine is a good thing. Our goal for the spring semester is the same as the fall. We want to keep Trotter open and the campus safe."
Media Attachments
