mmalvic's blog

On Thursday September 8, 2011 I had the pleasure to have had a personal behind-the-scenes tour of Bowling Green State University’s Student Recreation Center. Throughout the tour I learned several facts that I had no known before. The center had its grand opening on January 2, 1979. It was designed to house exercise, activities, sports, and other recreation activities. From above the building incidentally looks like a Falcon, our schools mascot. The center has been through many changes over its lifetime. Most of these changes were made internally to adapt to the rapidly changing face of recreation. The current weight area was not always the weight area, was originally basketball hoops for pick-up games. In order to stay current, the racquet room had a climbing rock wall added to add to their activity repertoire. Throughout the tour I was able to see areas of the Recreation Center that most people do not normally get to see. We were taken downstairs to the lowest level and looked out through giant pool window. The Center is looking to the future and planning on ways to cater to the changing needs of BGSU student body. The squash courts downstairs, once extremely popular, now sit in the dark dormant basement. Some of the rooms have been repurposed as storage rooms, but the staff is looking for new ways to refresh the area. If the staff can find a cost effective way to bring use to this unused area, the center will benefit as a whole bringing more visitors to the center. Through listening to the tour guide, I was able to get an inside perspective on the thinking of a recreation staff member. I really enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to the next recreation facility, The Stroh Center.