By: Carly Columbo
Correspondent
The YMCA on 40 Lawrence St. in Lawrence is giving away free memberships to NECC students. The announcement was posted on the MyNECC homepage on Feb. 19. The YMCA offers a gym, pool, indoor track, fitness center filled with equipment, and wellness classes. This offer will help students in or around the Lawrence area who want to be inspired to get in shape or simply have a place to play basketball or get more involved in the community. Many students without reliable transportation in the Lawrence area could utilize these tools to their advantage.
“I honestly had no idea this was being offered,” said Tracy Takumi, a current NECC student. “I think it’s great considering a lot of students pay for some if not all of their college so being able to have a space to relieve some stress without having to join a team is something positive. I’ll have to check it out.”
The Haverhill campus has a fitness center in the D building with equipment as well, but the Lawrence YMCA could stand as the wellness center for students primarily attending the Lawrence campuses.
“I think it’s awesome that the school put that into consideration,” said Eric Johnson, current NECC student. “I live in Lawrence and don’t have a car so I try to keep all most of my classes in Lawrence to avoid the shuttle, and I certainly am not motivated enough to take the shuttle just to use the fitness center in Haverhill.”
The YMCA is open to all students, regardless of what campus their classes are taken at. Students under 18 need a parent or guardian signature for the risk and consent form. All students over 18 can simply bring a copy of their schedule to D-125 or L-133 in Haverhill to pick up their voucher.
“I think more students could take advantage of this,” says YMCA employee Felicia Gonzalez. “I don’t really see Northern Essex kids in here, mostly just elementary school kids and organized teams. There’s a lot more here than just a gym and pool, it’s a great place to have a sense of community and social interaction and I think a lot of kids in Lawrence need that structure.”
