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There’s nothing more that infuriates the soul of an already stressed, one-hell-to-the-next appointed Pratt student than finally finding an hour or two gap in their schedule to visit the ARC yoga studio (which, by no means is a comfortable space to begin with), only to find the space being occupied, unannounced, by photoshoot equipment for the pampered basketball team, or a group exercise quietly added to the studio schedule without a timely update to the calendar— leaving no chance for anyone to plan accordingly. 

I’m grateful to have a space to practice dancing for free (minus the spirit-crushing tuition burdened upon me). But when taking into account the almost always useless water fountains, the lack of air conditioning compensated for through a dingy fan, and that stench of stale sweat that poisons the air, it’s hard to feel satisfied. I use the studio often, and some students may spot me taking up a corner or a spot in front of the mirrors dancing with a concerning amount of energy (I promise it looks less crazy with the music playing through my AirPods). In this sense, I make good use of the studio, so why complain? 

Like ghosts, students hauntingly cram the studio: dancers like me hoarding large amounts of space with, depending on the number of us, playing painfully loud music; boxers who perform full on battles with a frightening lack of distance from their peers; students who place yoga mats for stretching and decide to take up the most possible amount of space they can; the occasional wanderer from the weight room next door, taking selfies to document their new gains. Though the cramped environment may often cause us to feel disturbed by each other during our own personal training or meditations in the space, I offer instead to turn our heads toward the root of this stress; the poor management and lack of space.

For an institution that takes pride in such a badass building like the ARC, with its tent-like rooftops, high ceilings, long-awaited bathroom renovations, and an entrance worth showing off, you would think over 41,000 sq ft of usable facility space would be more convenient, more shareable. Hours in which the studio is free to use is very limited. I often find myself weaving in time between group exercise classes, or having to use the space either obnoxiously early or right before closing. I wish some of these activities were hosted in different locations, perhaps a new space added in the ARC for meditations or martial arts that could operate without mirrors; the studio is sadly the only place equipped with mirrors, so activities like dance or workouts depend on it. With the amount of money and planning allocated to new gadgets for the sports teams or jazzing up the entrances and bathrooms, I hope that Pratt will further consider the quality of life for students and give some thought into providing more resources that would make places like the ARC more enjoyable and convenient for all, to take off just one more stressful thing off our plates.