Intramural Complex is quite the attraction

Georgia College & State University celebrated another addition Monday: a $1.2 million intramural sports complex.
The new complex includes three softball fields and one multipurpose field, a walking and jogging track, a concessions building and office and storage space.
The college held a grand opening ceremony Monday for the complex on the West Campus.
“Students are excited about this facility, and are looking forward to using this complex,” said Iheanyi Maduka, president of the Student Government Association.
With the additions and renovations of the new residence halls on main campus, West Campus and the new student fitness center that has recently opened, GC&SU is busy building up the community to meet the growing needs of its students.
“We have more students staying right here in Milledgeville, and that means that we need to provide our students with opportunities to do things outside of the classroom,” said Dr. Dorothy Leland, president of GC&SU.
GC&SU offers a variety of intramural activities to more than 900 students each semester, including flag football, ultimate Frisbee (flying disc sport), volleyball, basketball, tennis, bowling, golf, softball and soccer.

In the past, the intramural department at GC&SU teamed up with the Baldwin County Parks and Rec Department to provide locations to play these sports.
According to Harry Keim, vice president of business and finance at GC&SU, the money to build the complex was generated from harvesting the trees that once stood where the new fields now reside.
Also, part of the program was the planting of a tree in honor of four individuals who had a part in making the intramural complex a reality: Sean Franton and Joseph Pate, GC&SU alumni who prepared the groundwork for the intramural and outdoor program; Harry Keim, who was the “mover and shaker” behind making the complex a possibility and David Groseclose, senior director for facilities services, for “past, present and future consistent service” provided by the GC&SU Physical Plant.
Other plans are already in the works to enhance the complex. Coca-Cola will donate the scoreboard signs for all the fields and 18 lighting poles.
“A lot of students are in class during the day, and they will have a little more time at night to play, so we are trying to generate the funds to take care of the lighting,” Keim said.
“The intramural department is such a vital role at Georgia College and 60 percent of the students are involved in intramurals,” said Frantom. “It’s really special to me because I was here for five years, got to know many of the students and I was in on the plans for designing these three softball fields and the soccer field.”
Students did not wait long to begin using the new facilities.
Immediately following the ceremony, the first game of the intramural softball season between the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity team and the “Cheap Seats” team began, where Leland threw the first pitch.
“I think it’s better that we have our own fields now, and we won’t have problems with other activities getting in the way,” said Phillip Murray, a junior at GC&SU and member of the Pi Kappa Alpha team.
Matt Ashley, a sophomore at GC&SU, said that this was his first time playing both GC&SU intramural sports and on the new fields.
“It’s going to be fun — I really didn’t think there would be this many people out today, but I think it will be very interesting,” Ashley said.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 27 2004. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry