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Mechanical engineering junior Julian Echevarria has been playing intramural sports at the Texas Southmost College Recreation Center since Fall 2019 but was suspended indefinitely after being told he was “not an active UTRGV Brownsville student.”

Echevarria said he is taking 16 credit hours online and on the Edinburg campus.

He said he was notified via email on Feb. 18 about the suspension by IMLeagues, which is the intramural league used by TSC and UTRGV.

“I went to the rec center to see what it was all about,” Echevarria said. “And, at first, they told me, like, there was nothing they could do about it. And then one of my friends, he talked to the coordinator for the intramural sports and she said that I had to fill out some form online and then we’ll pick up the paper at … the office right next to the rec.”

He said the issue was resolved last Wednesday.

University Recreation Director Kimberly Rottet said if UTRGV Brownsville students are facing the same issue, students can contact Brownsville UREC Program Coordinator Samantha Villarreal or visit the recreation center, Room 2.610.

Asked how many UTRGV students attend the Brownsville rec, Villareal replied, “Not enough.”

UTRGV students who take classes in Brownsville and pay the Recreation Fee, have access to the facility. Students who are denied access to the rec have to submit a request form in order to gain entry and must meet the following criteria, according to the UREC website:

–students must be currently enrolled for the semester being requested;

–students must have paid the Recreation Fee within their tuition and fees;

–requests must be made prior to the Census Day of each semester; and

–students must submit this request form each semester. Access will only be allowed a semester at a time.

TSC shares its recreation center with UTRGV’s Brownsville campus community. Students of both schools pay a $75 Recreation Fee each semester.

As reported by The Rider newspaper on Nov. 28, 2016, “Students who take all of their classes in Edinburg pay the maintenance and operation costs of the University Recreation Building in Edinburg and can only use that facility because of a non-binding letter of intent regarding exchange of land and improvements and lease of improvements between the University of Texas System and TSC.”

Rottet said about 10 students fill out the request form per semester.

“We’re still trying to kind of help students understand, that, like, some of our students don’t even necessarily realize they have access to, you know, to that facility and know we’re doing our marketing campaigns and plans,” Rottet said. “You’re a Brownsville student, you have access to that, to that building.There may be a process we need to change. If you’re an online student or a distance-learning student, you live in one community over the other, but there’s a process for that. So, the main piece being contact our university recreation staff and we’ll be able to help navigate, for those maybe 10 students a semester, sometimes not even that.”

Villarreal said students will receive access to the Brownsville rec within 24 to 48 hours.

The Rider tried to contact Raul Cano, TSC Recreation Center coordinator, but was unsuccessful as of press time Thursday.

To access the request form, visit https://www.utrgv.edu/urec/_forms/access-request/index.htm.