By: Helen Dotchel

I look forward to my run in U.D. ‘s facilities every single day. I have a rule: at least 30 minutes a day of running and weights, a core workout, or more running. This rule may seem minimal compared to other people’s workout plans, but it is enough to keep me healthy, mentally and physically. The U.D. gym may occasionally smell of sweat and body odor, but that comes with being a gym. The gyms are filled with ellipticals, treadmills, a variety of weight machines, and bicycles. Lil Bob has an indoor track, a pool, basketball courts and a rock wall. My dorm, Harrington, includes its own gym. My personal health is very important to me and I, personally, feel that U.D. has enough facilities to keep students physically healthy. To make sure this was everyone’s opinion, I interviewed several students. One student, *Rose, said “The gym in Harrington is great for the freshman on east campus and the Lil Bob and Big Bob are great for everyone else.” Another student, *Violet, said “There are more than enough machines, so everyone can work out.” 

 U.D. also has a counseling center. They make walk-in appointments and are willing to accommodate for most mental-health needs, whether it is through their own facilities or through referral. They also run programs for yoga, group therapy and workshops. I, personally, have not had a lot of interaction with the counseling center at U.D. yet. To see what students thought about the mental health services at U.D., I asked around. Rose said, “One friend waited for two weeks to meet with one [a counselor] and then never got a meeting. I also have no idea where to go to get counseling or therapy.” *Iris said, “I do not think there are enough mental health services at any institution, but I think U.D. has a good start.”

Overall, U.D. has a lot of services in place to make sure its students are healthy: mentally and physically. But is it enough? Physically, the general consensus was yes. Mentally, there was not a consensus. Of the five people I interviewed, there were mixed opinions. All agreed that U.D. should do more.

**The people I interviewed asked for pseudonyms.