An afternoon downpour dampened student turnout Wednesday for the UREC All Access event, but enthusiasm among UREC staff to showcase improvements to the Student Recreation Center was unwavering.
During winter break, the UREC Student Recreation Center added 90 pieces of fitness equipment and replaced 4,300 square feet of carpet in its cardio and weight area with rubber flooring. The combined cost of equipment and improvements totaled approximately $300,000, which includes resurfacing the tennis courts, according to a UREC news release.
“These improvements are going to improve the UREC experience significantly,” said UREC director Laurie Braden. “During the summer the carpet used to sweat, leaving an unpleasant odor. The rubber flooring will make cleaning a lot easier and won’t leave any unwanted smells in the summer.”
UREC All Access began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the weight room. Student Government President Cody Wells began the ceremony with a few words expressing his excitement about the event as clangs of weights and machines resonated around him.
“Because student fees pay for the UREC, it is important to show where the money is going,” Wells said. “This event is a great opportunity to show students what the UREC is doing to improve their recreation experience.”
The event continued throughout the night, with students slowly filtering through various areas, including the highly promoted Adventure Trip Program. The program will consist of several hiking, climbing and canoeing trips to parks around the southeastern United States, according to Adventure Education Coordinator Chris Bullard.
“We have never done anything like this before,” Bullard said. “The fee for a weekend trip is $60. That fee includes everything except for food and clothes.”
Before the event officially began, students filed through the adventure trip booth, expressing their excitement about the trips.
“It is a great opportunity to get exercise, but it also looks like a lot of fun,” said mathematics graduate student Kimberly D’Souza. “These trips are a lot different than boring gym workouts. I have never been canoeing before, but I am definitely thinking about trying it.”
Once the clock struck 5 p.m., UREC All Access officially began. Staff were on hand to help students learn to use and maintain the 90 new pieces of exercise equipment. Other activities included a bounce-out basketball challenge and boot camp fitness challenge.
 
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Contact Joshua Bergeron at [email protected]