Gregory Gym, the Recreational Sports Center and Belmont Hall are just a few of UT’s recreational sports facilities that are open to all students, but not everyone may feel welcome at them. According to a survey conducted by FitRated, almost 65% of women avoid the gym due to fear of judgment. At a school where the undergraduate population is mostly women, many students may not feel secure working out at UT facilities.

UT should provide a separate weight room for women so they can feel more comfortable exercising. 

Economics sophomore Mireya Carvajal thinks that a separate weight room would help women feel more comfortable in an environment that may otherwise feel unwelcoming. She explained that men sometimes stare and offer unsolicited advice, leaving female students feeling judged. 

In fact, FitRated surveyed 1,797 women and found that almost 71% of them had experienced an interaction at the gym that made them feel uncomfortable. The results gathered by FitRated suggest that female students who utilize weight rooms might feel uneasy due to staring and unwanted comments. Uncomfortable situations like these could ultimately discourage them from exercising.

Students who utilize the weight room deserve to feel comfortable exercising — without being harrassed, flirted with or stared at. 

Although campus personnel often promote health development, the University must first create a space where students can feel secure enough to start their journey. 

Female students on campus have voiced this concern to UT, and this has urged student advocates and RecSports to talk about possible initiatives that could help support women’s health on campus. Longhorn Ladies Climbing Hour was created in past years to create a more welcoming environment. However, RecSports could do more for female students than just hosting a one-night-only event.

“We have tried to create … an inclusive space (where) there’s something for everybody. And if we did a female only weight room, we would then look at potentially needing a male only or (one for) people who identify as other genders. I think what we’ve tried to do is really create a place that there’s something for everyone,” said Jennifer Speer, executive director at RecSports, said.

“We are not flushed with money, and so (our intent is) to make sure that when we do program space, it serves the greatest number of students possible.”

Adding additional space is expensive, and it is understandable that RecSports would only want to allocate funds towards spaces that serve a purpose for a large number of users. However, adding this weight room will give students the confidence to work out in a space without worry. 

UT needs to provide a separate weight room for women to ensure that all of its students are being encouraged to exercise and promote their health. 

DonJuan is a Plan II and economics freshman from Quanah, TX.