As of March 17, the Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex (BRIC) announced its closure for the remainder of this semester to the Cal Poly Pomona community in response to the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) pandemic.
In an email sent March 20, Scott MacLeod, member services coordinator for Campus Recreation, stated, “This decision (to close the BRIC) was made based on guidance from the Chancellor’s Office, and recent announcements by California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling for greater social distancing and other preventative measures.”
(Jizelle Saucedo | The Poly Post)
On the evening of March 14, there were reports of a BRIC member suddenly falling ill and receiving medical care, which resulted in the first temporary closure of the BRIC. During this time, the BRIC announced a closure until March 17; however, a later announcement confirmed the full closure of the BRIC as a precaution.
BRIC members that purchased any locker rentals, personal training instruction, trips or workshops that were deemed unable to continue for the remainder of the spring semester or faced cancellation, hold eligibility for a refund.
According to MacLeod, members aren’t required to take any immediate action to receive their refund, since the refund processing will begin after members speak with a representative from Campus Recreation.
First-year biology student Timothy Lee works at the BRIC as a lifeguard for the aquatics department. In response to the BRIC closing, Lee explained how Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) is currently working to find a way for student employees to work remotely online that will count toward the normal work schedule they are used to.
Since many jobs require in-person responsibilities, many student employees may go through online training and tasks that’ll prepare them for the reopening of the BRIC.
“The whole situation with the BRIC closing is kind of two-sided to me,” Lee said. “Since I work at the BRIC, I’m sad that I don’t get to see my awesome coworkers and make money by being present, but at the same time, it’s the best for everyone’s safety as a community.”
Fifth-year food and nutrition student Oscar Ortega visited the BRIC, on average, four times a week before its closure.
With the news of the BRIC remaining closed for the semester, Ortega expressed that the news impacts the routine that he’s made at CPP and the dedicated time he took for his overall well-being.
“Seeing as how it’s going to be my last semester at CPP, there are exercises that I’ll miss performing and equipment that I’ll miss using at the BRIC,” Ortega said.
Ortega said his motive to attend the BRIC multiple times during the week came from his drive to keep his body moving and clear his mind of any stress that he faced from his school, work and social life.
“I am now facing a creativity challenge which is to find and revisit ways to build my strength and fitness outside of a gym with the current situation with the coronavirus; however, it is something that I will work hard to overcome,” Ortega said.
Due to the ongoing changes resulting from the BRIC’s closure, the director of recreation Krista Smith was unable to respond with further updates about the BRIC’s status before the publication date.