Students prepare for recreation center to open its doors

Mark Harriman

The house that students built is edging its way towards completion. The 75,130 square-foot, two-story building, located just south of the Student Union, is expected to open in late fall or early 2009.

Just as the steel and concrete of the facility takes shape, so too does the framework for the program procedures and operating policies. The details of membership fees, operating hours, participant guidelines, and other programmatic issues are all being put in place.

Mark Harriman, the recently hired center director, said the all-student staff will also be involved in shaping the program and providing input on the day-to-day operation. “We want to provide a place for students to exercise, release stress, learn healthy lifestyle choices, and experience a sense of community,” he said.

The $21.7 million center is funded entirely by CSUB students through a 2005 student referendum.

The center’s lower level will feature three basketball courts, a juice bar, a specialized fitness area with a variety of weight and cardiovascular equipment, a yoga and martial arts training area, and a rock climbing wall.

The upper level will have an exercise and fitness area with a suspended three-lane jogging track that spans one-tenth of a mile.