Many colleges include the cost of a gym membership in their tuitions. From smaller schools like Marietta College in Ohio to large schools like the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, colleges do not require students to pay extra for a gym membership. NMU’s neighbor school, Michigan Tech, includes not only a gym membership but a ski hill pass in its tuition.

NMU does not include a PEIF pass — $130 for the academic year — in the cost of tuition. This would be fine; however, the cost is not worth the price.

Currently, whenever it rains at the PEIF, several buckets are placed throughout the gym to catch rain. There is no air conditioning when it gets hot. At busy hours, there is limited space in the ab/stretching area. At times there is no hot water in the showers, like this past Saturday, and the front desk attendant just shrugs when you let him know, like it’s no big deal.

We know the PEIF staff only gets as many resources as are allocated to them, but this makes us wonder why we are required to pay for passes.

Weights are always scattered all over the place. If you want to use the dumbbells, it’s lucky to find a matching pair because people do not put them back in their proper place. That’s the PEIF members’ fault to some extent, but it is still a matter that should be considered.

The services that are offered at the PEIF could be found at any other gym in Marquette for a similar, or lower, cost.

The YMCA of Marquette costs $26 a month for students with a $45 joining fee. However, students can apply for scholarships that significantly reduce the costs.

The best perk about the PEIF is its location.

Maybe it’s NMU’s low-cost tuition that translates to cheap equipment, cheap utilities and cheap service.

But think about it: NMU is trying to change its marketing image. How do we market a pool with rain leaking into it?

Enrollment won’t increase with changed image alone; NMU needs to improve its facilities as well.

And in a region where -40 degrees Fahrenheit is common in the winter, the phrase “Live Well Wildcats” means nothing if Wildcats don’t have useful facilities during the snowy months.