Members of the Kent State men’s and women’s bowling teams were allowed to test out the bowling alley underneath Eastway Dining Center Wednesday. They were allowed in to solicit feedback on the quality of the lanes.
Conversations to open the Eastway bowling alley have continued since a petition to reopen the space gained traction last semester. The university has since moved forward with conversations about a potential future for the bowling alley.
Members from both bowling teams said they were impressed with the quality of the space, despite appearing aged.
Marc Sostmann, a sophomore construction management major and a member of the men’s bowling team, said he enjoyed the “retro” feel of the bowling alley and that things all worked.
“I love it,” he said. “I’m a big supporter of retro bowling alleys. I love the old look, the retro colors, the light of the pin indicators at the end of the lanes. That’s the first and only one I’ve ever seen that works.”
The Eastway alley has a more simplistic design, owing to its age. Sostmann said he enjoyed how straightforward it is.
“When you start bowling competitively you start liking the natural lanes and no lights,” he said.
Sostmann was optimistic about the prospect of a bowling alley on campus. He said it would be convenient for the bowling teams while also being a great spot for students.
“I’m really hopeful for the future of it. I think that Kent could really make this a great location for people to hang out again. It’s especially being in the center right under Eastway,” Sostmann said. “This would be a great place to come out late at night, you know, 8 p.m. on a Friday with your friends.”
A big concern for the university has been the question of the functionality of the equipment of the bowling alley. If too many things were broken, it would likely be too much of an investment to reopen.
Emma Poe, a molecular biology major and member of the women’s bowling team, said she was worried about the quality of the bowling equipment, but she was pleasantly surprised.
“Honestly, I came into this thinking that they were going to be pretty janky and pretty warped, but the quality is pretty nice,” Poe said. “Everything seems to be running fine. The machines themselves, setting up the scores and everything are very outdated, but it all looks like they’re usable.
“I didn’t expect it to be open so fast. I think they definitely need more house calls for the public and new shoes. I thought the lane qualities were going to be really bad, but they were fine,” she said.
The bowling alley was closed in late 2019 after it failed to turn a profit for the university. A big component of the viability of the bowling alley is whether the costs would outweigh the benefits.
Lilly Olson, a visual communication design major and PR Officer for the women’s bowling team, said one of the biggest pros of the Eastway bowling alley would be the time and money the bowling teams could potentially save.
“It will make our lives a lot easier,” Olson said. “It will save us gas money because some of us don’t drive, so it would be really helpful.”
The women’s bowling team currently practices at Kent Lanes, which requires them to pay for gas and lanes to rent as well as coordinated carpooling.
Olson also spoke about fears that some of the equipment would be damaged after so many years of being in storage. Kent used the bowling alley as storage for spare dorm furniture throughout the pandemic.
“There were dressers from the dorm rooms that were on the lanes, so that was our whole concern, was, ‘Is there something wrong with the lanes? Are they warped?’” Olson said.
Olson said the quality of the equipment could use some work, but it was functional. She also questioned how the university might run the space if it were to open.
“I think it’s great,” she said. “Some of the stuff is outdated, but it’s actually not that bad. The only thing is that I don’t know how it would be funded, probably through Kent itself, but we would also help to fund it because we already pay enough money to Kent Lanes to practice there.”
The only glaring issue Olson identified were the broken bumpers along the side of each lane. She was optimistic about the future of the bowling alley, but she did point out some final suggestions to be fixed.
“I don’t think anything really needs a big update,” Olson said. “Maybe add a couple things, like probably some fans, but it does get hot in here. I don’t like the windows, they need to put some type of screening on it.”
Andrew Bowie is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].
