The spring semester of almost every year at the Student Recreational Center is filled with people working out.  However, the number of students working out at the Rec varies throughout the months.

In spring 2014 semester, 60,231 scans were registered in the first two months, while 85,781 were registered in March and April, according to the Rec Center’s records.

Records also indicate that for the spring 2015 semester, so far, 3,071 scans were registered at the gym.

There was a decrease between March 7 and 16 of the spring 2014 semester; the numbers were between 86 and 407, while the numbers are normally in the thousands.

Comparing those numbers to fall 2014 semester, the only time the numbers dropped was in late November before Thanksgiving break. A pattern is visible between both semesters, in which low numbers are near the end of each semester.

This may be attributed to finals being close to that time, since the dates fall before and during finals week.

Sarah Daughtery, the program director of Campus Recreation, said after spring break is over, barely anyone comes to the Rec.

“People always have the new year’s resolutions to work out and get fit, so at the beginning of spring semester, there are more students and Eastern faculty who come and work out,” she said.

Daughtery added that between the months of January and March, there are also students getting ready for spring break, which is another reason why the Rec has a lot of students working out at the beginning of spring.

Students are still working out after spring break; they are just not doing it at the Rec. Daughtery said when spring break is over it is nicer out than it was at the beginning of the semester, so people are choosing to exercise outside because of the weather.

She said the reason why there are not as many people at the Rec this school year is because of Eastern’s low enrollment.

The weather is a big component of who comes into the Rec, as she has seen in the past from her experience working there, she said.

“There are still people who come to the Rec, like faculty of Eastern; we just aren’t getting as many students once the nice weather hits and spring break is over,” Daughtery said.

Stephanie White can be reached at 581-2812 or at sewhite2@eiu.edu.