Despite the addition of the new athletic center nearly two years ago, there are still no plans to rework or renovate Gambrill Gymnasium at the moment, Charles Mann, Vice President of Finance at Hood, has said.

However, while there are not concrete plans on what to do with the space, Mann said the space has not been well utilized and that Gambrills’s future will most likely be a subject during the next talk on possible renovations to Hood.

“Gambrill’s location is prime real estate on a land-locked campus,” Mann said. Considering the way Hood College is organized, Gambrill is in an interesting location where it could just as easily be a residence hall, new space for classes, or remain an athletic facility.

While some students agree with Mann that Gambrill is not well utilized, other students strongly advocate for it to continue housing gym classes and providing a space for recreational sports use.

Of 33 Hood Students questioned in an informal poll, 23 said the space was being used effectively or could be used effectively if renovated, while 10 disagreed saying it was being used ineffectively.

Students who believe the space is being effectively used cited examples of how difficult it was to use the new gymnasium for any sort of recreational activity. Athletic teams have first priority for the new gymnasium’s use making it difficult for an average student to use the facility.

“I think Gambrill could be used effectively if it was well maintained,” Justin Callas, a sophomore at Hood, said. Callas went on to say he hopes Gambrill continues to be a place to enjoy sports recreationally because the new gym is “close to impossible to ever use”.

While there is dissention on whether Gambrill is being utilized well, most every student agreed that the space needed renovations. Students have complained that Gambrill is in a state of disrepair, making examples of the only partially functioning heating and cooling systems, outdated bathrooms, and lack of traction on the gym floor.

Even though it seems that there is much to be done with Gambrill, Mann said there is planning to be done, years in advance of any possible project being done on the facility. A committee, comprised of students, faculty and staff, to plan the future of the Hood College campus will meet in the spring, Mann said.

“You have to understand the strategic direction the college is going before knowing what the space needs,” Mann said.