Wellness and Recreation Center nears opening

The Wellness and Recreation Center readies for its Oct. 24 opening with last-minute preparations and final touches, including the installation of exercise equipment, furniture for the Counseling and Student Health Services offices and the biometric scanner that will grant access to the facility.

Caitlin Renn

The pool at the new Wellness and Recreation Center will be open to students on Oct. 24. Construction on the 101,000 foot center began on Sept. 14 of last year and totaled $28.2 million. The center’s ribbon cutting ceremony will take place on Oct. 14, followed by an open house between Oct. 17 and Oct. 21 where students will be able to register.

According to Director of Recreational Sports Bert Rosenberger, the construction company handed over the keys and the property to Georgia College on Monday, Sept. 26, taking the facility one step closer to opening.

“Basically, on Monday they give us the building and it’s empty,” Rosenberger said. “So we’ll be putting everything in there from toilet paper to desks, chairs and fitness equipment.”

The timeline for the Wellness and Recreation Center’s opening begins with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 14, followed by an open house with biometric registration between Oct. 17 and Oct. 21; the facility will open for regular use Oct. 24.

“The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be the inaugural event of the center,” said Dave Terrell, director of wellness programs. “The administration will invite some dignitaries, like the mayor, state senators and the contractor and architect. We invite students to come out and be there for the ribbon-cutting.”

Registration will allow students to access the facility by using the biometric thumb scanner, which makes for a safer facility.

“The week after the ribbon-cutting, you’ll be able to go and register,” Rosenberger said. “Whenever you go to use the facility you’ll have to put your thumbprint in biometrically, so what they’re going to do is get everybody’s thumbprint and register you in the system.”

The way the system works will eliminate the use of the student Bobcat Card.

“When you put your finger down, your picture will come up on the screen and we will know that you’re a current student. So you won’t have to bring your Bobcat Card,” Terrell said. “That’s the beauty of this, you just walk in and you won’t need anything.”

During the days of registration, the building will be available for an open house of sorts. Coordinated with Family Day on campus, students and their families will be able to visit the WRC to check out the facility and amenities. The rock wall, indoor soccer field/hockey rink and natatorium, complete with diving boards, a jacuzzi and spectator seating, will certainly be highlights for visitors.

“Potential Georgia College students can see the building, and we can possibly use that as a tool to finalize their decision to come to Georgia College,” Rosenberger said.

The open house will mainly serve as an opportunity for students to register and allow various sports teams to be introduced to the facility.

“What we’re calling ‘Open House’ is really a low-key thing; we want students to register and employees or community members might come by. We’re going to have some activities going on, like our sport clubs will be playing and practicing,” Terrell said. “The Swim Cats, the ice hockey team, the soccer team, the women’s volleyball team – there are about a dozen – will come in to do some activities so people can see some activity in the building. It won’t be open for regular use until the next Monday.”

Junior psychology major Brent Osborne looks forward to the WRC’s opening.

“I’m excited about the splash-line and the jacuzzi and the rock walls. I’ll definitely be using the facility a lot. I think it’s going to help establish GC, and I feel like having a recreation center will make us more legitimized,” Osborne said.

The Wellness Depot serves as the current facility for students to exercise, and the opening of the WRC will not, for the time being, affect the Depot.
“The Depot is going to stay open for a while. Originally it was scheduled to be open for a year and evaluated annually, but it’s being looked at for some other uses,” Terrell said.

The campus is heavily anticipating the opening of the WRC and Rosenberger feels it will not disappoint.

“The building is about ready to go. Everybody’s going to love it; we’re excited,” Rosenberger said.

Posted by Caitlin Renn on Oct 6 2011. Filed under Lead stories, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.