Plans for the pool are rising to the surface

,. py Kristen Williams staff writer

As you walk through the doors of the Dixon Center, look to your left. What is it that you see? A pool? Wait-an EMPTY pool.

The crystal-clear waters of the pool appear to be as deserted at times as Crystal Lake is after a Friday the 13th movie.

After months of patient waiting and several infuriating setbacks, the much anticipated Dixon Center opened its gates to the Cabrini Community and the surrounding area. Students flocked to the center to use the facilities: a brand new gym with six basketball nets, a state-of-the-art weight center, the indoor track, the squash courts, and the highly requested pool.

Why is it that to this day the pool is the most desolate of them all?

Gen Aulett, a senior at Cabrini, said that she does not use the pool because she feels like she is on "display."

"With windows in the weight room, and windows in the main entrance, who is going to feel comfortable swimming in the pool?" she said. "It feels like you are in a - fishbowl."

While speaking to several other members of Cabrini's female population, a statements similar to that, with sug- gestions of dosing the blinds, were made.

"People just don't think about using the pool," firstyear student Greg Queen said. "They come to play ball or to work out with friends. It's difficult to go swimming in a group." is commonly considered under-used. Cabrini has recently tried to revive interest in this Dixon Center facility.

Many other students shared this opinion.

Students felt that because swimming is such an individual exercise, and they are usually more prone to work out or "play" in groups, swimming doesn't even cross their mind.

So what does the staff at the Dixon Center say about their brand-new seldom-used pool?

Pool director Colleen Poole feels that many students do not use the pool because they think an aquatic workout takes more time than a normal workout; for example, to change from a bathing suit to clothes and to dry your hair.

She is, however, trying to plan some new activities to increase the use of the pool. One "Dive in Movie" has already been shown, but only six students showed up. Poole is planning on trying this event again though, for she feels better timing will make it a more popular event.

Other possibilities for the pool include inner-tube water polo, activities during Spring Fling and Aquatic Aerobics.

Poole said that the use of the pool is slowly growing as people become more aware of it. "It's popularity is definitely not where we had hoped it would be, but we also knew it would be a slow start," she said.

With continued advertising and new programs for the pool, Cabrini hopes that soon there will rise a great following for the expensive waters.