Maya Martin, Editor

PHILADELPHIA – Kirk Pool, La Salle University’s on-campus pool, is open to all students and is easily accessible in the TruMark Financial Center. Located just below the John Glaser arena, the pool has many amenities for students whether looking for a dip in the water or a complex workout.

The pool itself is a 25-yard distance lap pool featuring six lanes for all swimmers and students. The area also features a diving well with three diving boards, two springboards and one high dive. Alongside the diving well is also a blowup hot tub for divers to use, and has adjustable temperature and bubble settings.

“I go to the pool because I don’t really like the gym,” said avid Kirk Pool user and senior Edward Cosgrove. “I’m more interested in cardio, and I’m kind of lazy when it comes to running, so I prefer to swim.”

The pool is used for the La Salle swimming, diving and water polo teams, but it is also open for all students to access. However, although open to the La Salle student body, the pool does not receive much attention during its open swim hours.

One may wonder why a pool with so many free amenities for students does not receive much publicity or use. Perhaps this is due to the “hidden” nature of the pool area. Though centrally located in the TruMark Financial Center, students must enter through a side gym entrance, walk down a hallway, and pass through unmarked doors to reach it.

“I would really like more advertisement about specific hours and maybe, like, ease of access for students because sometimes there’s some issues with the door and getting into the pool,” said Cosgrove.

As of last year, students are required to have pre-approved ID swipe access to enter the gym for open swim hours. Only members of La Salle athletics and club swim presidents are granted access. So, some students often find themselves having to wait for someone to walk by in the gym to open the door for them.

With the gym being in such a central location on campus, easy swipe accessibility would alleviate issues during open swims. The open swims are every week, Monday through Thursday, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

All six lanes are open for use during open swim hours and a lifeguard is on duty. During these open swim hours, students are free to utilize the pool, diving well and additional gym equipment.

While many students on campus are aware of the pool and diving well, not many know about the gym equipment in the pool area. In the top corners of the pool, two lofts feature different workout machines.

“You have the pool itself, you have the diving area, you have the trampoline– if you get permission to jump on it,” said Director of Campus Recreation Rob McIntosh. Additionally, “you have the satellite lofts where you have treadmills, ellipticals, seated bikes and one erg.”

With all of these amenities and equipment, the pool offers a great location to have events, programs and club meetings on campus. La Salle Club Swim is one club that utilizes the space weekly. The club runs Monday through Thursday from 8 to 9 p.m. and is open to all students of any swim experience.

“People should join club swim because it’s not all about swimming,” said La Salle Club Swim co-president Alexandra Suc. “We do a lot of activities and some of the activities that we are trying to do right now is a movie marathon in the pool. We’re trying to get Rob to buy… the bounce house… so that we can throw more activities and raise more money for the pool.”

Throughout the year, different organizations like club swim, the recreational center and residence life will hold different activities at the pool.

“You have the pool events, you have parties, you have swimming events that we would normally post, and in the future, we’re looking to do inflatable… events where you can like, you know, ones you just put in the pool and you have races,” said McIntosh.

In addition to these pool events, resident assistants host programs at the pool including swimming lessons, float nights and pool movie nights. Activities as such are open to all students and are a way residence life encourages residents to utilize their free access to the pool.

If students are looking for sports events to watch, Kirk Pool also hosts swimming and diving meets and water polo meets.

“I want to see more students in there as in like supporting our water polo team, supporting our swim team, but yet go in there to use it as a workout facility,” said McIntosh.

The atmosphere is a great location for students of all interests to get involved. Although hard to find on campus, the free amenities Kirk Pool has to offer are worth the go.

“Look for that opportunity to have fun,” said McIntosh. “Enjoy yourselves, relax and swim.”