It took only two weeks to realize that transferring to Binghamton University has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made. The high quality of education is conspicuous, the students are bright and ambitious and the faculty are among the most qualified educators in the Northeast. Immersion into a brand new environment halfway through my sophomore year has been a breeze through the resources that this school has to offer, along with great friends who were able to make the transfer process even easier. With all of that being said, let us get to my sole grievance: what is the deal with gym memberships?

I am referring exclusively to the price here, and how one semester costs $100, while a full academic year costs $180. If you are like me, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is imperative to performing well academically; having a gym membership throughout the course of the semester is unquestionable. Questions do begin to surface, however, when the costs of such a membership are so high that my bank account becomes a bigger concern to me than my biceps. Further concern arises when I am reminded that the majority of my friends outside of BU, mostly at private schools and some even at other SUNY schools, are enjoying the use of equally impressive facilities cost-free.

Frustration has led to research. Ashley Fazio, the assistant director of marketing at Campus Recreation, informed me that in 2005, the East Gym was renovated to accommodate an ever-growing student body. A poll conducted by the Student Association at the time asked students if, in order to cover the costs of a revitalized facility, they would prefer a mandatory increase in the recreation fee campus-wide, in turn eliminating the out-of-pocket cost of a membership — or have only the students who are interested in having fitness memberships make up the difference. The majority elected for the latter, and this decision can be attributed to why we pay out-of-pocket for our gym membership today.

This conclusion may seem fair to those who do not want a gym membership at all, but it becomes problematic when we consider the different types of students who all want to spend time in the gym, but to variable degrees. A hundred dollars for the semester is negligible to the fitness freaks who occupy the squat racks every single morning, but quite lofty to the average exerciser who just wants to use the treadmill twice a week. Instituting a mandatory $100 fee for all students may cause the latter group of individuals to steer away from getting a gym membership all together. According to Healthy Campus Initiative, “students with a positive, flourishing health status have a greater ability and readiness to learn and fully engage in educational experiences inside and outside the classroom.” Don’t we want to broaden accessibility so that every student can experience this equally?

Free memberships would eradicate any such concerns. No student should be intimidated to add an active, healthy lifestyle to their studies because of pricey memberships. To be fair, Campus Recreation has a variety of other activities that are offered without paying the hefty fee, including open recreation activities such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, racquetball and open lap swim. But if you seek more, like access to the 10,000 square-foot fitness center, 100 group classes to choose from every week and state-of-the-art equipment that is replaced every three years — you are just going to have to reach into the back of your pocket and dig a little deeper.