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Excuses to avoid the gym have now become harder to come up with in lieu of the recent expansion in hours of operation at the Wooden Center.

The facility is now open from 5:30 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. Monday through Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. Fridays, 9:00 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. Saturdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. Sundays.

“It’s nice to know I’ll be able to use the gym at midnight if I feel like it,” fourth-year marine biology student and avid racquetball player Mike Frederick said.

“Not too many people play at that time of night so I think I’ll benefit more from the later hours on Saturdays.”

Located in the heart of campus, the Wooden Center is home to hundreds of cardiovascular and muscle-toning machines as well as dozens of daily classes.

With over 4,000 entries daily, the Wooden Center is a popular spot for students, employees and alumni of the university. By having a broader range of hours to choose from during the day, the Wooden Center is attempting to accommodate the schedules of all users.

“At the end of the day, the goal is to meet the needs of those who use the gym,” director of recreation Mick Deluca said.

The hours were also extended to accommodate the over 1,000 additional students staying in the new on-campus housing facilities.

“With the expansion in on-campus housing, the board wrestled with the impacts,” Deluca said. “We came up with the additional hours after listening to feedback directly from our users.”

Not only have the hours changed, but for the first week of school, classes ranging from yoga to dance will be offered free of charge.

“The free classes are being offered for two main reasons,” Deluca said. “One, a way to introduce new hours and two, to couple on the excitement of Welcome Week.

“They will help users test the menu to see if a class is something they are interested in.”

Although it is too early in the year to see the effects of the shift in hours and free classes, the recreation staff is hopeful that it will accomplish their goals.

Third-year psychology student Cindy Pinzon also appreciates the option of late night workout hours.

“I don’t anticipate taking advantage of the earlier opening time,” she said, “But I may make it to a free class or two.”