The word does not seem to be out on intramural sports.
Very few students have shown up to the Walt Price Fitness Center to participate in the two hour window set aside each day for intramural (or community) sports during the winter quarter of 2024.
“I was walking around with my friends and just stumbled across the sign out front,” said Running Start student Manrit Dhaliwal.
Every Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the gym hosts various sports students can participate in.
Most of the people inside the Walt Price Fitness Center were there to utilize the weight room. Those students who were most dedicated to their workouts decided to brave the elements and stick to their schedules.
One of the only signs of life in the gym was a medium-sized group of friends playing a never-ending match of volleyball. Once in a while, someone would come in either to stretch or work on their basketball skills for a short amount of time. The gym remained largely empty during the allotted time, aside from the small black ants looking for traces of spilt sugary sports drink.
Dhaliwal suggested possible reasons for the low attendance could be a mix of the frozen, wet weather and a lack of advertisement for the intramural sports around campus.
The path to the gym proved to be treacherous, forcing people to creep one step at a time through the slush and patches of ice. Trojan Way was surrounded by giant puddles of water, unable to empty due to frozen-over storm drains. Maneuvering the stairs was a challenge few were willing to take. Some of the pathways on campus were treated with salt to melt the ice, however, the main thoroughfare to the Walt Price Fitness Center was not so lucky.
Armando Tapia, a student who occasionally visits the Walt Price Fitness Center, had “no clue” that any intramural sports were taking place.
“If enough people showed up, I would participate,” said Tapia.
Although attendance to the daily event has remained low, some are still optimistic about the idea. Jacob So, one of the students playing volleyball, said he believes that having intramural sports open to everyone allows students to “have fun with friends and meet other people.”
