The weight room is used by gym classes and sports teams, but much of the equipment is starting to show its age. Ms. Medina and Mr. Lee, both physical education teachers and coaches for several sports teams, are leading an effort to renovate the space.

Many of the machines currently in the weight room have been used for over a decade. The bench press is 20 years old, the preacher curl bench is 15 years old, and the dumbbells have been used for over ten years. The other equipment is starting to reach its ten-year mark with noticeable wear. The treadmill no longer works for actual running, it can only be used for walking.

Ms. Medina and Mr. Lee believe replacing the equipment would greatly benefit the student athletes and encourage them to use the space more.

“Since I’ve been here we’ve been trying to implement the weight room as a pre-season training for a lot of the sports teams,” said Ms. Medina.

“We had the softball team using it on Wednesdays. The girls soccer team, which is a new team, is starting to use it as well. I think that the weight room just takes the athletes to the next level.”

Many student athletes believe the condition of the weight room affects not only performance but also motivation to train. Jeff Alognon Anani, a senior who uses the weight room every day, said the current equipment is starting to discourage students from working out.

“Honestly, it feels like we need to update everything because it’s old and raggedy,” Alognon Anani said. “Some of our weights are damaged, some don’t have grip anymore, and the treadmill doesn’t even work. I feel like if we had better equipment, more students would want to use it.”

Freshman Afruz Tolibov shared a similar opinion, saying the weight room initially excited him because his middle school did not have one. “I was so happy because my middle school did not have a weight room or anything like that,” Tolibov said.

However, he said some of the equipment, especially the cardio machines, no longer feel safe. “The ones for cardio, they’re not safe. They’re about to break down.” he said.

Updating the equipment will be expensive. Mr. Lee and Ms. Medina estimated that the school would need $20,000 to $30,000 to do it. The treadmill alone makes up a large portion of the cost. They are hoping for two ellipticals, two treadmills, and two bikes.

A big challenge is finding enough money to renovate the space. “Mr. Glatz will have to get very creative,” said Mr. Lee.

“After we complete renovating the gym we could apply for a grant to renovate the weight room,” said Mr. Glatz. “If it’s changing the equipment, like getting rid of the old for new, that is something that can be requested. We just need to coordinate with the custodians to get it moved outside.”

Despite the challenge, Ms. Medina hopes the school community and outside organizations can help make the renovation possible in the future. “Hopefully someone that is interested in donating their money and time can make something happen. She said “It could also be a collaboration of multiple people.”