Alexa Martin, contributor

Give to the Max Day is one of the largest fundraising holidays nationwide and many different teams and organizations across campus participate each year. In the world of athletics, it is a great way for the individual teams to fundraise for trips, new gear, and anything else that a team could ask for. For the athletic department, it is a great way to raise money for its projects to better the department and Augsburg athletics as a whole. One of these big projects for the athletic department would be renovating the women’s locker room. 

Called the “second phase of the three-phase project” by Jeff Swenson in a video on their Give to the Max Day website, the Augsburg University Athletic Director states the women’s locker room is said to start its renovation in the spring of 2022. This project is estimated to cost around $1.3 million dollars, and with the goal to fundraise $75,000 during Give the Max Week. As of Monday, November 8th, the athletic department has only raised $4,010, approximately 5% of their goals. 

Currently, all the men’s sports at Augsburg have their own individual locker rooms while the women’s sports have had to share their spaces with the other womens sports. There are three separate women’s locker rooms used for only Hockey, Volleyball, and Basketball, but are significantly smaller locker rooms compared to the men’s locker rooms. The remaining teams used a shared space, unlike the men’s teams. Swenson shares that, “We want our female student-athletes to be able to have private locker rooms and their own personal locker all four years that they are here at Augsburg.” 

When asking a 2020 Augsburg Women’s Lacrosse Alum about the new women’s locker room, she told the Echo, “I think it’s been a long time coming and it’s great to finally see women’s sports getting to the same level as men’s sports when it comes to the locker rooms. I’m happy that there will be space to spend time together as a team and that all the sports will have a space they can call their own.” 

Though some will argue that a locker room is not a necessary change here at Augsburg, it is one that is needed. The locker room is where a team comes together every day before practice or competition and shares their passion for their sport with the energy that creates a team atmosphere. It is where they start to grow with each other before they even step onto the court, field, track, ice or pool. It is the place where wins are celebrated and losses become motivation. It is a place where a team comes together day in and day out to be the best they can be. 

To contribute to the Athletics Department’s fundraising efforts, visit Augsburg’s “Giving to Augsburg University” page on their website or go to directly to the Give to the Max official site. 

https://www.givecampus.com/schools/AugsburgUniversity/give-to-the-max-day-2021