Re “The Herbert Wellness Center needs a facelift” (Sept. 9):
As a student employee of the Herbert Wellness Center since fall of 2021, I respect that everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, after reading the article published on Sept. 9, I was disappointed that many points did not accurately reflect the full picture of the facility.
The towel policy has been in place since the Wellness Center opened in 1996. According to the 2026-2027 Herbert Wellness Center Policies and Procedures: “For sanitary purposes, an appropriate sized (12”-24”) cloth towel is required to work out. Equipment should be sanitized with provided gym wipes after each use.” Its purpose is simple: to encourage patrons to place a barrier between themselves and the equipment upholstery for both hygiene and equipment care.
While disinfectant wipes are provided, there is no guarantee every person cleans equipment after use. Using a towel is also standard gym etiquette as it is expected for patrons to wipe their sweat rather than allow it to drip all over. I doubt anyone would want to use a wipe on their face due to the disinfectant chemicals within them.
The article makes the claim that patrons are “forced to pay the university” 1$ to get a towel; however to avoid any fee you can bring your own appropriately sized towel from home as explained in our policies and procedures.
While the observation that the locker rooms are outdated is fair, the Wellness Center is already planning a major locker room renovation within the next two years. Had the author contacted the Wellness Center for comment, that context could have been included.
Another criticism focused on the echo in the stretching area. That space was originally a racquetball court. As interest in racquetball declined, the Wellness Center repurposed it into a stretching and mobility area in August of 2020. While there may be some echo, I bet students would much likely prefer a functional stretching space over an empty, underutilized court.
The writer overlooked many recent improvements. In the last three years, the Wellness Center has renovated the free-weight area, invested in new strength equipment, upgraded both saunas, added a cold plunge, converted the former Pilates room into a meditation suite, installed new LCD scoreboards, and continue to replace cardio equipment each year and offer advanced fitness assessments, some free to students. Many universities do not provide amenities or services even close to this level.
No facility is perfect; however, the complete and accurate picture shows that the Herbert Wellness Center remains one of the best campus wellness facilities.
This Letter to the Editor was created by Kamari Dawn in collaboration with Tony Musto, executive director of the Wellness Center. For any additional inquiries about the status of the Wellness Center, students are encouraged to contact Musto at tmusto@miami.edu.