With the beginning of the new school year rapidly approaching, students may already suffer pangs of anxiety about the upcoming workload. The Student Recreation Center, located on East 15th Avenue near Esslinger Hall, offers students the opportunity to have fun and take a break from school, not to mention gain the physical benefits of working out.
The rec center provides a variety of workout options, from four multi-purpose courts to a suspended track. Students can use indoor and outdoor tennis courts as well as badminton and racquetball courts. The center also houses a climbing wall.
Patrons using the weight room have the option of using free weights or one of the 33 different weight machines. For aerobic exercise, the center boasts nine treadmills, 13 elliptical machines and a variety of bikes and row machines.
A pool that reaches 11 feet deep allows patrons to swim laps or simply cool off after a workout.
An information kiosk, located at the front of the rec center, provides pamphlets on various community fitness activities, such as The Walk for Diabetes. Fliers pinned up on announcement boards inform students of upcoming workshops and alternative fitness classes, such as yoga and hip-hop dancing.
University history major Jodi Thiel has used the center for the past two years because of its convenient location and flexible hours.
“The center has a good variety of equipment; most of it is updated,” she said.
Thiel also pointed out that the track is a great running space during winter when it is cold and rainy
outside, adding that the rec center allows students to engage in activities outside of academics.
Graduate student and rec staff member Ken Best said the center is a great venue to support intramural sports and physical education classes. He also enjoys working out as a means of blowing off steam when he’s feeling overworked.
Best emphasized that students can turn to the rec center as a way to focus on something other than academics for a short period of time, which is particularly important during finals week.
Best often provides tours and information that include a summary of the layout of the facility and background on the center’s recent improvements.
The building underwent renovation four years ago that resulted in the addition of the three-court gym, suspended running track and indoor tennis courts. University officials are currently contemplating a second renovation that would include
additional basketball courts and swimming pools.
Best said that even between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., the center’s busiest time, patrons are disbursed evenly throughout the facility, leaving plenty of equipment available for use.
Students pay for access to the center as part of the incidental fee. The rec center subsidy translates to about $30 per term per student.
Student need only to carry an ID card to use the center. Guest passes can be purchased for $5 per day, but guests must be sponsored by a
current University student or
faculty member.
Junior Stephanie Jackson, who works at the rec center, said that with all these amenities, the center is the most convenient place to exercise.
“The rec center is a lot nicer than most of the gyms in town,” she said.
Jackson said working there and using the equipment on her own time creates a lot of time for her to talk to other students and to meet new people.
Information about the rec center’s services and policies can
be found through the University’s Web site. A virtual tour of the
facility is offered for people who can’t get down to check out the
center for themselves. The general hours of operation are 6:30 a.m.
to 11 p.m., Monday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the
center opens later but continues to remain open until 11 p.m. The
center remains open during winter and summer breaks, but with
limited hours.

Lindsay Burt is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.