Shattered glass restricts access to Campus Recreation and Wellness Center’s MAC Gym
On Wednesday, June 12 around 4:30 p.m., one of the glass panels in the UHCL Campus Recreation and Wellness Center’s (CRWC) Multi-Activity Center (MAC) Gym shattered. Brian Mills, director of campus recreation and wellness, said the panel shattered on its own and there were two CRWC student workers playing cornhole on the court about 10-15 feet away from the panel. Nobody was injured by the panel shattering.
“This is a working theory,” Mills said. “But the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center is a massive building that weighs a lot, so over the course of the past year, the ground most likely shifted, and the building adjusted accordingly, causing pressure to build up and the glass to shatter.”
As of June, the university has not reported any other instances of glass panels shattering on their own accord. As reported by Albert Black, director of Environmental Health and Safety and Emergency Management, the only other instance of glass related issues on campus was in the STEM & Classroom building.
“Before the STEM building opened in fall 2018, there was a glass window panel that fell out of its set position and fell on the floor and shattered,” Black said.
Mills said there are tentative plans to replace the glass panel.
“The glass panel is under warranty, so there will be no cost to replace it,” Mills said. “We are going to reach out to Tellepsen, the construction company we have the contract with, to get the associated costs so we can plan for any future issues in our annual budget process.”
Until the glass panel is replaced, the MAC Gym cannot be used for any sports-related activities like volleyball, dodgeball, or soccer. However, the space will be used for meetings or non-active events.
“I hope the MAC Gym closure doesn’t affect volleyball club’s meeting times,” said Arturo Perez, biology major and volleyball club member. “We use the MAC Gym often when both when there are activities happening on the main courts, so if this happens during the closure, we might not be able to play inside the Recreation Center.”
The MAC Gym is set to remain closed for all activities until the CRWC receives final recommendations from the Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management and Construction.
Currently, there is no set time frame in place for these recommendations. Individuals interested in any updates on the MAC Gym court closure can visit the UHCL Campus Recreation and Wellness Facebook page.
Moreover, Mills said that since the glass did not shatter because of any usage of the space, the CRWC does not expect to change any facility usage protocols unless otherwise instructed from Environmental Health and Safety.
