Student Recreation and Wellness Center
Student Employment Application
UWO recreation and wellness center a place for students to call their own, February 2, 2007
By Krista B. Ledbetter of The Northwestern
It's more than 100,000 square feet of state-of-the-art construction sporting an Energy Star-rated roof, automated temperature and humidity monitoring systems and abstract design. And it belongs to the students of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
The UWO Student Recreation and Wellness Center is a project not only planned in conjunction with students, but also paid for by the students, through student fees. And Oshkosh Student Association President Amanda Cone couldn't be more pleased — both with the facility and those involved in its process.
"I think it's a great testament to what the students are willing to do for their university," said Cone. "It's a great facility, and will make a great recruiting tool. Oshkosh is great, but we're making it better."
Terry Barth, a former UWO director of recreation and intramurals who's been an intricate part of the project, said students had a say in every decision about the project, from the color of the walls to the design of the building.
"The students were incredibly involved, and they still are," Barth said. "It's amazing how dedicated they are. The building really is for students, by students and paid for by students."
Preliminary ideas began forming for the project in 2002, said Petra Roter, vice chancellor for student affairs. Ground was broken for the project last April, and the facility is expected to be open in time for the fall 2007 semester.
Roter hopes the center will not only draw new students to UWO, but also keep them at the university.
"I look at this as a jewel on the UWO crown," said Roter. "I think it will bring people in, but it will also be a retention tool. Students involved in informal recreation stay longer. This will allow more students to be involved, thus retaining them."
UWO will finally have the facility, the resources and the staff to provide more intramural opportunities for students, she said. Campus job opportunities will arise as well. Roter expects to hire students for receptionists, babysitters for the facility's nursery, athletic officials, instructors and trainers. The center will also have its own administrative staff. UWO will begin its search for a director soon, she said.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Student Recreation and Wellness Center
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Students with a valid ID will have free access to the facility and its amenities, while the cyber cafe, an Internet hot spot on campus, and the media center will be open to the general public.
Five multi-purpose rooms will be available for intramural sports and campus organizations, while the facility will also offer three full basketball courts with scoreboards, a multi-purpose gym for hockey and soccer, a walking and jogging track, a free-weight room, a cardio center, and a climbing wall. Students and organizations will also be able to rent outdoor sporting equipment such as canoes, kayaks and bicycles, and there's also a room for equipment demonstrations. The center also includes storage rooms for intramural sports and campus organizations.
"This is really important because club sports used to have no place to call their own, and now they have a place to call their own. And somewhere to store their stuff," Barth said.
Cone said the end result will be a reflection on the students.
"This really shows the commitment of students," she said. "It's great to see it in the beginning, and see it through to the end."
Krista B. Ledbetter: (920) 426-6656 or kledbetter@thenorthwestern.com
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Friday, March 17, 2006
Things will get noisy
Things might get a little noisy around campus in a week or so, when crews begin driving pilings for the new Student Recreation and Wellness Center on the southwest edge of campus.
Site clearing began this week, as general contractor C.D. Smith Construction of Fond du Lac prepared for the project that is expected to take 18 months.
The student-funded facility is expected to be up and operating by the fall 2007 semester.
So far, a construction fence has been put up and trees and snow cleared from the site near the Fox River.
The $21-million cost for the project dropped considerably after the bids came in below estimates. When it’s finished, the two-story, energy-efficient building will be the best facility of its kind in the UW System.
The center will be dedicated to recreation, wellness and intramural programs for students.
The first floor will include a juice bar and media center, a cardio-weight center, multipurpose athletic court, three-court gym, climbing wall, offices and locker rooms. The second floor will be a running track and three multipurpose rooms. The building will include golf/hunting simulators, a wellness/fitness assessment area, babysitting center and an outdoor recreation center.
Students will be able to use the student fee-funded facility free of charge.
In addition to C.D. Smith, contractors for the facility are Thomas Electric Service Inc., Marshfield; B&P Mechanical Inc., Appleton; August Winter & Sons Inc., Appleton; Fireline Sprinkler, Baltimore; and Johnson Control Inc., Milwaukee.
The building is being constructed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. (UW Oshkosh The Bulletin, March 20, 2006)
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The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.
Questions and comments can be directed to church@uwosh.edu