Undergraduate students will continue to have free access to the Athletic Complex’s cardio room for the 2011-12 year. A Student Union allocation made over the summer will extend free use of the entire AC through the coming year, quelling concerns that a charge would be imposed.

Last year, the Athletic Complex saw its budget slashed, and an initiative to give $100,000 to the AC failed to garner the necessary supporters to make the ballot.

Students accustomed to exercising at the Athletic Complex late at night have had to adjust their routines because of reduced hours of operation in recent weeks. Although students were able to work out until 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday from fall break until spring break, the AC has closed at 9 p.m. since spring break.

The Athletic Complex may feel some financial hardships in the coming year. According to Student Body President Jeff Nelson, supporters of block funding for the Athletic Complex (AC) did not gather the 900 required signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. Two years ago, the AC received block funding for two years at $60,000 per year.

Ready your bikes, get set in the pool and hit the pavement running because registration for the first on-campus triathlon is open. The Washington University triathlon club has organized what it hopes will become a tradition for community members looking to spice up their exercise routines.

In response to your recent Staff Editorial calling for improved athletic equipment, I call foul. I would prefer to see the facilities needed for academic achievement first. In three areas my academic life is made more difficult on a daily basis because of sub-par facilities.

After a sleepless night of studying and a caffeinated day of classes, you bundle up your willpower and drag yourself to the Athletic Complex. After passing through new glass-paneled turnstiles that inspire vague associations of Mr. Spock and dystopian fiction, you find yourself waiting in line for a treadmill that may or may not work, flipping through an issue of US Weekly from two weeks ago and thinking about how you could be more productive if only you had joined Bally’s like your roommates did.

Due to the wide variety of deliciously unhealthy food available on campus at any time of the day or night, the Freshman 15 is a big concern for many students; here are some tips to avoid gaining weight during your freshman year.

Although Washington University’s Dance Marathon falls on the same weekend as Parent & Family Weekend this year, the campus-wide community service event boasts the most registered participants in its 10-year history.

The Athletic Complex was abuzz with excited students Thursday night, as the lucky few granted access to enter the Debate Hall enjoyed an environment of famous faces coupled with an enormous media presence and a sense of political import.