Administrators Consider Closure of House Gyms

As administrators from the College evaluate the equipment in the House gyms, several House Masters say that the closure of House gyms is on the table because of the expense of maintenance—though no decision has yet been reached.

Closing the House Gyms is “a question we’re all facing because gym equipment is very expensive. It takes maintenance,” Adams House Master John G. “Sean” Palfrey ’67 said.

Eliot House Master Gail A. O’Keefe said that some Houses had discussed closing their gyms earlier this year.

Despite the expenses, many House Masters said they are opposed to closing the House gyms.

Quincy House Master Lee Gehrke said that the number of swipes into the Quincy House Gym every day shows it is a popular place to work out. O’Keefe shared this sentiment, adding that there were no plans to close Eliot House Gym.

Dean of Student Life Suzy M. Nelson and Leverett House Master Howard M. Georgi ’68 are working together to evaluate each gym, Nelson wrote in an email.

“We have had an ongoing discussion about how best to manage our House gyms and to make sure that equipment is properly maintained,” she wrote. The two are currently looking at the type, age, and maintenance of the gym equipment in each House.

Knowledgeable individuals within Kirkland and Winthrop Houses, however, said they have heard discussions about the closure of the House gyms.

An individual within Kirkland House said that the administration will probably end up taking the free weights­—all dumbbells and barbells—out of the House gyms.

Another individual in Kirkland House said that there was an effort to get rid of Kirkland’s gym a while ago.“I think they were explicitly told to do so, and they didn’t,” the person continued.

One potential liability issue with House gyms is that public gyms are supposed to have a CPR-trained monitor whenever they are open, according to the Winthrop House affiliate. But Harvard has considered these gyms to be private, similar to the gyms within an apartment building, which do not have to adhere to the same regulations, the individual said.

In 2003, each House received a one-time grant of $20,000 to renovate its House gym because of the long-delayed renovation of the Malkin Athletic Center. The overhaul of the MAC was completed at the end of 2007.

—Hana N. Rouse contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Julie M. Zauzmer contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Monika L. S. Robbins can be reached at mrobbins@college.harvard.edu.