One thing I did not expect to find when I came to Princeton was the huge number of varsity athletes on campus. Dozens of students had been recruited for sports I had never even heard of. Confused, I remember questioning a member of crew, "You sit in a boat and row it down the river and that's ... a sport?" Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, I used to tease my crew friends. Little did I know that (some of) these rowers are the most hardworking and fit athletes on campus.
Last time I checked, one-third of Princeton students are on a varsity team, and hundreds of others participate in some form of organized athletics. What about everyone else? What about the slew of ex-high school athletes like myself who serve as inspiration for the Facebook group, "Washed-Up Athletes of Princeton?" What about those of us who think Beirut and Robo should become Princeton's 39th and 40th varsity sports? Do not fret because there is a place for us: glorious Dillon Gym.
"Dillon," conveniently located in the center of campus, is widely accessible to the entire Princeton community. Its Gothic architecture makes it look like a typical Princetonian palace from the outside, but once inside, it is bustling with activity. After unsuccessfully swiping their PUIDs and embarrassingly walking into the turnstile bar, Dillon visitors have access to everything the fitness world has to offer: basketball courts, a swimming pool, squash courts, locker rooms with middle-aged men walking around naked (with their towels over their shoulders — why?), take your pick.
The hub of Dillon is the Stephens Fitness Center. Bustling with activity be it 7:00 a.m. or 11:30 p.m., the fitness center is one of the most happening places on campus.
The elliptical, considered the most "girly" of the cardiovascular equipment, has gained popularity in recent years. Interestingly, its location in front of the treadmills and exercise bikes makes its users susceptible to booty inspections. Because of the quick, rapid motions the elliptical encourages, its users often look like they are in the midst of a seizure. Some of its users prefer to move their legs backward, as if they are trying to rewind their last meal and skip that piece of cheesecake. Typical users of the elliptical include every single girl in Cottage Club, those who are afraid of falling off the treadmill and shameless men who realize that the elliptical is actually a pretty good workout.
Rife with testosterone, the free weight room attracts a diverse group of males as well as the occasional daring female. From Yann Le Gall '08 tearing apart the squat machine to ex-football players bench-pressing skinny freshmen, the free weight room attracts some of Princeton's most meaty men. The free weight room also attracts some of Princeton's, er, less meaty specimens, like me. We try.
Though I love shaking my bum on the elliptical and hopelessly trying to achieve Popeye-like biceps, what I like the most about Dillon is its social aspect. Dillon is truly a place that unites everyone. Forget the debate between residential colleges and eating clubs: Go work out! You'll see everyone you know. Find out who your freshman roommate is dating or what the best available PDF class is this semester. Everyone knows that the gym is the best place for the latest campus gossip, like, duh!
On a campus with a fitness obsession, Dillon Gym makes it easy for everyone to find something fun to do and stay in shape. Dozens of classes ranging from spinning to yoga to kickboxing are available at affordable prices. You can challenge one of the fierce badminton wizards (who are those guys?) to a quick match, compete with 2,000 other students in the Freddy Flaxman organized annual dodgeball tournaments or watch the Princeton Tae Kwan-do team kick (literally) the crap out of Yale on the weekends.
So, if you're bored this weekend, put on your orange and black and hit up the gym. Work off the Beast, do your thing, make your rounds and be a part of Princeton's finest social scene. Neel Gehani is an ORFE major from Summit, N.J. He can be reached at ngehani@princeton.edu.
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