Return of the MAC
OOn September 19, 275 Seattle Central staff, faculty, and volunteers gathered in the Mitchell Activity Center for President’s Day, where they listened to speeches, picked up Tiger merchandise, and played pool. While attendees heralded the new academic year, the MAC flaunted the sparkle of its newly painted and resurfaced gym floor.
The gym floor is just one of many changes for the MAC this year. Since late summer, the MAC has undergone significant remodels aimed at revitalizing campus engagement. In addition to physical renovations, the MAC staff has also focused on activating underutilized spaces, offering more activities, and increasing accessibility to the facilities through a new Punch Pass card system to return the MAC’s attendance to pre-pandemic levels.
To address this, Sammy Faust, who took the helm as manager in January 2024, has made the space more inviting and functional.
“It’s about making the MAC a space where students feel welcome and engaged,” Faust stated, adding that the renovations are a part of a larger college strategy to create a vibrant campus community partially through reactivating spaces. President Lane echoed this same sentiment in his President’s Day keynote, emphasizing the importance of “moving with purpose” this year.
Faust and the MAC staff have initiated numerous updates across the facility, prioritizing cleanliness, organization, and aesthetic enhancements. One key renovation so far has been the resurfacing and repainting of the basketball gym floor, which supports recreational use, rental activities, and events like President’s Day and New Student Orientation. Room 210, the MAC’s primary meeting space, also received a substantial makeover. On President’s Day, Room 210 hosted coffee, tea, and later in the day, free chair massages, while boasting its fresh paint, student artwork, and shiny hardwood floors that had been trapped under its previous carpet for years.
MAC staff is also upgrading all the water fountains in the building and are working to complete facility-wide HVAC maintenance, replace the safety belts on all the basketball hoops in the gym, and hopefully install security cameras by the end of academic year, according to Faust. “Those updates aren’t as exciting, but worthwhile to note we are working on the health and safety of the building,” she shared.
Faust and the MAC team have functionally reworked spaces, like the weight room. Many machines were replaced or repaired, and others were rearranged to foster a safer and less-congested workout space.
To further promote wellness and a sense of community amongst Seattle Central affiliates, the MAC hired 6 new fitness instructors to teach free yoga, Pilates, dance, and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) with a gym membership.
The MAC is also rolling out its Punch Pass Program: a $25 pass that gets you – or a friend – 5 visits to the facility. “It’s also a great option if a staff or faculty member doesn't want to sign up for a membership or doesn't want to do payroll deduction,” added Faust.
Many of the MAC’s student employees are beginning to see the benefits of these changes in action—and have even more ideas for the facility’s future.
Sandro Herzog, a new instructor teaching HIIT, appreciates how diverse the MAC staff is. “Our team includes students from all around the world, which makes every day interesting and fun,” he said. “And as a fitness instructor, I’m thrilled that the MAC offers group fitness classes—working out with friends just makes the experience so much more enjoyable.”
Of the new renovations, Herzog was most excited about the updated weight room. He also expressed interest in the addition of a climbing gym one day, and in hosting ping pong and billiards tournaments. Front desk attendant Christy Xu is appreciative of how clean and inviting the MAC has become since she started in late 2023 and praised Faust for her efforts. Xu reported increased usage of the facility since recent renovations, particularly in the basketball gym. She’d love to see the addition of martial arts classes, an increase in intramural sports, and other activities that engage the student community.
Student employee Chilombo Chiyaze, who is also involved in Student Leadership in the adjacent building believes the MAC plays a vital role in fostering community. She has noticed the growing popularity of relaxation spaces like the game room and the sauna. For the future, Chiyaze hopes to see more events and meetings hosted in Room 210 as well as more intercollegiate sporting events and creative student activities hosted at the MAC.
For Chiyaze, the best part of her job is connecting with other students. “I really enjoy [getting to say], ‘now I know your name because I see you all the time.’” She also emphasized how supportive the environment is between MAC staff. “The chemistry is good, and we uplift each other a lot,” she added.
It’s fun to look at all the potential the MAC has.
While cleaning and organizing spaces, Faust found the expected treasures: old trophies, binders from the 90s, and several large, heavy TVs. But her favorite find? A headless goose sculpture.
“We found it in a closet, and then a month later we found its head on a different level of the building,” she said. “It now sits on a shelf in a closet, ‘cause why not.”
Faust’s exploration of the building also revealed other surprising spaces, including access ladders leading to a mechanical area on the running track and even a hidden tunnel under Broadway that connects the MAC to the main Broadway-Edison building.
As for the old pool room, closed in 2019 due to corroded ventilation and high maintenance costs, Faust envisions transformation. “I’d love to see it become an extension of the weight room for powerlifting or CrossFit,” she said. “Additionally, I’d love to rethink some of the racquet courts and potentially get a bouldering climbing space in the building… it’s fun to look at all the potential the MAC has.”
Information on membership and the Punch Pass Program
Current fitness class schedule