Staff members in classes that have moved off-campus have complained that their needs aren't cared for.
"It's a sad set of priorities," said one staff member. "The athletic department basically only cares about the varsity athletes. In a University as big as Harvard, they couldn't find one space for this program."
"Now we have to pay more for the program, because we have to pay for the rent of the space," the staff member adds.
Dr. David S. Rosenthal '59, director of UHS, says that Harvard does care about staff's health and exercise programs, but that space is unfortunately tight.
"We try to get as many of the Health and Fitness programs on campus as possible in whatever spaces we can," Rosenthal says.
"Space is a constant issue," he says. "We are hoping Memorial Hall will provide some space. We also use the [common] rooms in the Houses and at the Quad."
Zewinski disputes the assertion that Harvard is not balancing the athletic needs of its varsity athletes, students, faculty and staff.
"Athletics is important for the entire Harvard community," he says. "Harvard accommodates everyone."
Additional Space
As space grows scarcer, administrators and student groups are eyeing the vacant Linden St. squash courts for a variety of uses.
The space is owned by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the institution to which the Department of Athletics belongs, and could be used for any purpose, Zewinski said, including offices, laboratories or dormitories.
Wentzell says he has said many times that the Linden Street space would make a good fitness center, but that he has no idea what the University will do with it.
"I have no reason to be optimistic or pessimistic," he says. "It is certainly real estate that could be used better. Two years ago we sat down with an FAS planning group and discussed athletic space, but it is still something that people higher up need to decide on."
Director of Athletics Bill Cleary '56-'58, who is responsible for directing the College's use of athletic space, last night declined to comment for this story.
If the Linden Street courts are transformed into office space, it is unclear where the organizations currently using it on both an ad hoc and permanent basis would go.
Zewinski says, however, that the University has made no decision abo what to do with the courts.
"Lord help us as far as the squash courts go," Zewinski says. "We haven't found anything for those things."
Zewinski says that his office is conducting a study of whether if would be cheaper to renovate the squash courts for another purpose or to build a new building in their place.
"The dilemma we face right now is how to retrofit the facility, given the regulatory environment, access codes and the like in a cost-effective solution," he says.