Marcellus Hartley Dodge Physical Fitness Center

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Photo taken by Flickr user jasonhe and released under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 license.

The Marcellus Hartley Dodge Physical Fitness Center is the Morningside campus's primary recreational fitness facility. Located underground in the northern part of campus, the facility was originally built in response to the failure to construct the Morningside Park Gymnasium in the 1960's. Due to Columbia's strapped budget, Dodge was built on a limited budget, which manifested itself in skimping on the interior decoration: "Cinderblock, unfortunately, abounds... spaces seem designed in a sort of neo-Carman rococo" with "blocks molded of serrated concrete[.]"[1]

Dodge received a major renovation in 1995 as part of then Athletic Director John Reeves plan to overhaul athletic facilities.

Many CC and SEAS students go here for the first time to complete their required phys ed classes.

As of 2007, Dodge is visited by approximately 3,000 users a day, sometimes breaking 4,000 a day during peak periods in winter. When the Tri-Level fitness center was opened after renovation in fall of 1995, usage was at 2,000 a day. [2][3]

Hours of operation

Academic year

  • Monday-Thursday: 6am-12am
  • Friday: 6am-10pm
  • Saturday: 10am-10pm
  • Sunday: 10am-12am

The pool has separate hours:

  • Monday-Friday: 12-2pm, 7-9:30pm
  • Saturday-Sunday: 1-5pm, 7-9pm

Winter, Spring Break, and Summer

  • Monday-Thursday: 7am-11pm
  • Friday: 7am-9pm
  • Saturday: 12pm-5pm
  • Sunday: 12pm-7pm

Closed periods during 2007

  • May 14 - May 20


Note that it is very difficult to locate the hours of operation on the Dodge fitness center website. This is in keeping with Columbia's culture of opacity and a chronic inability to anticipate even the most basic needs of its students. Also note the diaspora of Columbia webpages, most of which share no design resemblance to others, and are inaccessible from anything save Google. This reflects the size, ineptitude and sheer chaos of Columbia's labyrinthine bureaucracy.

Facilities

The Blue Gym and Tri-Level Fitness Center
Percy Uris Pool

The equipment in Dodge is all leased, making it the only Ivy League gym with all-leased equipment. The majority of equipment is kept on a 4-year lease, while Cardio equipment is kept on 2-year leases. This allows for the regular and frequent updating and replacement of equipment in Dodge. In 2007 the strength training equipment was replaced for a cost of $200,000. [4]

Francis S. Levien Gymnasium

  • Multipurpose hardwood floor gymnasium featuring three NCAA regulation basketball courts
  • Configurable for other sports including indoor soccer and volleyball

University Gym (Blue Gym)

  • Multipurpose athletics gymnasium with mondo rubberized performance surface
  • Configurable for basketball, soccer, volleyball and badminton

Percy Uris pool

  • Eight-lane 25-yard swimming pool with diving well
  • Used for recreational swim and instructional classes

Tri-Level physical fitness center

  • Three-story open area cardio-fitness and strength training facility
  • State-of-the-art machines include treadmills, elliptical trainers, steppers and selectorized weight training systems

Indoor running track

  • One hundred sixty meter running track with competitive banked turns and mondo rubberized performance surface

Squash and handball courts

  • Eleven American-size courts suitable for squash, racquetball, paddleball and handball

Men and women's locker rooms

  • Changing rooms with full showers and restroom facilities
  • Scandinavian sauna available in both men and women’s locker rooms

Offices, etc.

Dodge also houses the Athletics department offices, and a number of training facilities for varsity teams, including the Fencing Room, and the Aldo T. "Buff" Donelli Strength Room.

Tips and notes

  • Best time to go?
  • Sign up for Intramural Sports or Club Sports if just working out isn't enough.
  • Squash Courts can be reserved for 60 minute blocks. Just call Dodge ahead of time.

External links

References

  1. ↑ Spectator Architecture Review of Dodge
  2. ↑ Dodge Renovations (Feb 1995); New Look for Dodge (Sept 1995); Fine Tuning The New Fitness Center (October 1995)
  3. ↑ Dodge Boasts New Equipment, Student Popularity - The Spec 9-20-07 Note that this article has an incorrect date for the renovation.
  4. ↑ id
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