health & fitness
don't sweat it
After all the hard work the new rec center is now open. BY SARA BEHUNEK
The modern edifice emanates light from its two-story windows, shedding a faint glow onto the dark parking lot. Inside, rows of people jog in place, looking upwards at the TV screens, their feet pounding on the moving belts. Others rhythmically move an arm or leg, pumping a metal machine to life with every flex. You can feel the energy, a vibrant buzz, from the activity of 1,500 or so animate bodies even from 100-feet away. They are all part of the luminescent core of the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, the new pride and joy of the University of Kansas Lawrence campus.
Students occupy rows of treadmills and exercise bikes during late afternoon and evening hours at the Recreation Center. The popular machines are located throughout the top two floors of the facility. A jogging track encircles and overlooks the gymnasium/court area of the Recreation Center. While the indoor courts were awaiting completion, students last week could already hit the pavement outside the new Recreation Center for a game of basketball.
"It's like working out in L.A.," I overhear a girl who sits behind me in class exclaim. I doubt an exerciser leaving a workout facility in Los Angeles can see the warmth of their own breath hit the cool night air, but, in the case of any upscale facility, the inside of the building contains millions of dollars of top-notch, new equipment. So new in fact, the first machine I use, a Precor Stretch Trainer, still has plastic packaging twisted between
photos by Aaron Showalter/Kansan
the spiky surface of its pedals. High ceilings and large pads on the ground where about four students can stretch or do sit-ups at one time contribute to the sense of community and the openness of the design. Twenty-three televisions are attached in clusters of three throughout the gym, airing everything from TBS Superstation to Lifetime. Soon, students will be able to tune their portable radios to stations and hear any television in range. Another high-class amenity are the student employees who walk around with a spray bottles and towels to wipe the machines clean for you.
Besides the basic aerobic, weightlifting machine and free-weight area, the rec center features a three-story climbing wall where at least one employee who has undergone climbing training oversees activity. Also on the main floor is a pingpong table, a Fast Break juice bar, a small enclosure with a flat-screen television and tables to commune or do homework at, and a rental center that provides students with rackets, pingpong paddles, protective eye wear, climbing shoes and harnesses.
"We want you to be able to walk in with a KUID, get it swiped, and we'll give you the rest," MaryChappell, director of recreation services, says.
The low-maintenance feeling of the center stems from the high price paid. The building alone cost $13.5 million, but after construction fees and machines, the grand total came to $17 million. Plans began formulating in 1992, and polls to determine what students wanted out of the rec center were taken every three years until 1998.
Chappell describes the extensive process of choosing machines. In the United States there are 4 to 5 major vendors of workout equipment. Chappell and a designated task force — the
thursday, october 16.2003
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