Coming to Cornell, I was sad to leave my family, my hometown friends and often overlooked, my hometown gym.
Since the 2020 “Chloe Ting” epidemic, I have become an avid gym-goer. Leveling up from “12-3-30” on the treadmill, to only hitting core, to now having a solid split.
While the hills of Ithaca surely provide good cardio and the infamous “Cornell calves,” I knew soon enough I would be on the TCAT bundled in my boots and Aritzia Super Puff, and that this form of exercise would no longer be an option. So, the search for a new gym began.
Living on North Campus, Teagle Down Fitness Center and Noyes Fitness Center were too far to conveniently go to. Though those walks may work for people whose outfits can do double duty, my jeans and boots were not exactly made for them, So, my two plausible options were either the Toni Morrison Fitness Center or the Helen Newman Fitness Center.
This is the case for most freshmen. At the start of the school year, freshmen designate one of these centers as the “superior North gym” and stand by their choice. As for me, I undoubtedly chose Helen Newman.
Being a girl at the gym, there’s always a hesitation for me to go to the weight section. However, I applaud Helen Newman for having a more welcoming environment. At Helen Newman, you also start to build community. My friend Helena Martinez ’29 and I go every day at the same time, and while we may not know the names, we always know who will be there: The guy with the jeans on, the ‘grunter’ and if we are lucky, Jordy at Corny will be working at the desk.
There's a difference between being a beginner and trying to out “mog” the others. At Morrison, it’s almost always the latter. All too many times, people will use stop watches for exactly a minute to reach the perfect “set vs. rest time ratio” — counting down each second just to start ego lifting once more. And I wouldn’t mind this if it were in any other gym, but if you’ve ever been to the other Cornell gyms, then you know how crowded it gets. It turns your quick workout into a whole afternoon activity as you wait to finish your set. Everyone starts rotating in, asking how many sets they have left in an effort to speed things along, but the person using the machine never seems to get the hint.
If Morrison is where workouts go to die, Helen Newman is where they actually get done.
Helen Newman has a designated space to hit the core — a main attraction for many people. Here, people are conveniently able to line up their mats and weights so you’re not running around the whole gym trying to find these items. Additionally, there is a wall where you can prop your phone up in case you want to follow a video workout tutorial. At Morrison, you have to retreat into a weird corner that’s always crowded with boxes. If you want the same privacy that Newman provides, you have to put yourself in the sterile lighting of the Morrison boxing room and hope no one is there practicing their moves.
And I’ll agree: Morrison may gain a point by having the StairMasters. But besides the fact that these machines are constantly filled, if I wanted to climb stairs, I'd just take a walk from North to Martha Van Rensselaer Hall and back. Though, to give Helen Newman a point, it has cables. For push, pull or random TikTok workouts, cables are a stable option for whatever you're exercising.
Not only are the machines at Helen Newman better, but so are the sights. At Morrison your view is a wall, the same one that you saw at the library five hours ago. Whereas at Helen Newman, you can look at Beebee Lake. I mean, come on, is there even a comparison?
Helen Newman is also right next to the best North dining hall: North Star dining room. The combination of hitting a workout followed by an Appel taco bowl is unmatched by anything Morrison Dining can provide. I mean who wants to go lift, just to enter the war that Morrison is, running into everyone you know while sweaty and having that smell mix with the dish drop?
There’s just something about the Newman to North Star circuit that truly bonds people together. Despite the inevitable crowds and chaos, you will most likely always see my friend and I everyday at 5:30 p.m. hitting the split of the day. It’s convenient, and has become a great way to unwind and relax after a stressful day of classes.
While it may not be perfect, it has become the closest thing to a hometown gym in my new ‘home.’
Katherine Istomin is a member of the class of 2029 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She serves as Social Media Editor for the 144th Editorial Board and can be reached at kistomin@cornellsun.com.
