Inside Jackson-Reed’s weight room

Meredith Page, Contributor

If you have ever spent time in the weight room, you would know about the filth that surrounds it. Hardly any of the treadmills work properly. One of the cycling machines makes an ear piercing screech when used. And an elliptical with no brake turns workouts into terrifying experiences. Water bottle holders are filled with wrappers and other trash, and phone holders are covered with a black sticky residue, rendering those functions unusable. 

Not only are the machines in bad shape, but the entire room smells of sweat and mold. Dust and mildew gathers in every corner and clings to weights.

In an average gym you might see wipes or towels used to wipe the sweat off whatever you were using. This is not a part of the Jackson-Reed weight room. In fact, it would be a shock to see any form of sanitizer in there. This unfortunate situation leaves you to wonder why we wouldn’t treat the weight room like a classroom, and have it regularly cleaned? 

It is hard to preserve a room when there are no resources to preserve it with.