Joshua Yi

04/08/2016
Final Draft: Place
Healthy Living and Community Building at the Rec Center
The Wade King Student Recreation Center lies
within Western Washington University near the CLots, Academic West, and the Ridge. This goliath
pillared, glass windowed building is a popular place
for many students and faculty members. The Rec
Center is a hotspot for those who want community,
but most importantly, those who want to keep their
health intact. With stress from academics and
finances, the Rec Center is the perfect spot because
allows people to control their minds, spirits, and
bodies. The three basketball courts, two separate
weight-rooms, latest equipment, indoor and outdoor
track, swimming pool, and rock-climbing wall show
the quality of the Rec Center. Another great asset is
the caf that allows those who want a refreshing
Front of the Wade King Rec Center
smoothie or savory meal to get one quickly. If you
are looking for a community or some team bonding, intramural sports are a great way to
stay active and gain new experiences with new and old friends alike.
Student employees make up the majority of the
Rec Centers staff. This is great because it
allows students to manage themselves, learn
about recreational community building, and
also earn via the most universal language:
money. Having a student-angled work place
also allows not only financial support, but helps
foster an energy that is connected to all college
students. Most students, including employees,
can connect through simple conversations like
classes, teachers, sports, vacation, etc while at
InsideWadeKingRecCenter:Track,CardioWorkoutMachines,
the Rec Center. Simple snippets bring a
andBasketballCourts
uniform identity, which is unique from other
gyms. The Rec Center is also a financial bargain as a typical gym membership costs
approximately $58 per month in the U.S. (Statistic Brain) while a membership at Wade
King Student Recreation Center is $38 dollars per month (Student Recreation Center
Membership). This price difference shows the care WWU has for the well being and
betterment of its students.
The Rec Center has a very high standard for quality. This is obvious in things like its
clean pools and its well-furnished basketball courts. Quality facilities allow students to
get their full potential workout while preventing injuries and health issues. The full range
of activities provided by the Rec Center allows students to broaden their accessibility and
willingness to try new things like: Zumba, Martial Arts, Yoga, and Cross Fit. Not only is

Joshua Yi
04/08/2016
Final Draft: Place
accessibility an advantage to WWU students but also these activities will increase muscle
strength, flexibility, and endurance for students.
Another importance aspect of collegiate gyms is their ability to see the outdoors as a
place to grow their indoor programs and vise versa (Patterson and Anderson, 2015).
This is something that the Rec Center notices and utilizes. An example of this can be
found in the Rec Centers turf soccer field and other outdoor activities offered by the
intramural department. Allowing a sufficient amount of activities and recreational spots
allows communities to stay intact and to continue to encourage healthy habits.
The Rec Center also designates areas for cardiovascular, free-weight, selectorized
strength, core, and sports workouts. According to Patton and Anderson, the most popular
way to exercise is cardiovascular and free weight training, which comprises 71% of
peoples total exercise (2015). WWU has designated most of the top floor and the
majority of its first floor to this type of training. Kotz and Haupt from U.S. Today state
"Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory,
and learning," with designated spots for certain workout, students are able to increase
energy, stabilize their moods, memory, oxygen intake, and blood flow all of which will
help balance their tedious school workload.
The Rec Center also has a large community
aspect. This is accomplished through organized
team sporting events called intramurals. The
intermural sports offered by the Rec Center
include water basketball to flag football, and
everything in between. As communities build,
credibility and student volume also start to
increase. Intramurals provide a fun and exciting
way to meet new friends and build relationships
with others.
Inside Wade King Rec Center 1st floor:
One flaw of the Rec Center is the lack of
Weight Room
equipment. The ability to obtain a football,
baseball, tennis ball, or Frisbee is challenging
due to the small quantities of equipment. Even basketballs are hard to obtain because of
the high volume of students that rent them out. We could solve this problem by allowing
students to bring in their own equipment inside the facility something that is currently
banned because of safety regulations. Another option is to gain a greater collection of
sports equipment that will allow students to be more satisfied and reduce waiting times.

The hours at the Rec Center are also limited; this is problematic because many students
prefer to work out early in the morning or late at night. Similarly, school sports teams like
soccer, track, and lacrosse often occupy the Rec Center field and Harrington field
reducing the amount of time students can exercise. Weekend hours are also limited. This
prevents people who want to exercise after a busy week at school from having that
opportunity. The Rec Center is already busy during its weekend hours, often preventing

Joshua Yi
04/08/2016
Final Draft: Place
people from being able to complete their workouts. Limited hours also reduces the
community aspect of the Rec Center as friends cannot find common times to lift weights,
play basketball, or run. Extending hours will help those who need to take care of
homework/studying in the morning and allow them to relieve stress of such through
exercising at night.
Overall, the Rec Center is a great resource for those looking for healthier lifestyle and or
community building. However, the Rec Center does have its flaws, including its reduced
weekend hours, lack of equipment, and its lack of outdoor field availability. Despite these
shortcomings, the Rec Centers is one of the smartest and most exciting places to be on
campus. It allows us to find new communities while simultaneously improving our
health.

Joshua Yi
04/08/2016
Final Draft: Place
Work Cited
Patton, Jack D. and Michael Anderson. Trends in Campus Fitness and Rec Center
Programming Athletic Businesses. Athletic Businesses. Nap. 9. April. 2015.
Web. 10 April 2016.
Student Recreation Center Membership. Membership. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.
Statistic Brain. Statistic Brain. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 April. 2016.
Kotz, Debora, and Angela Haupt. "7 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Exercise." US News.
U.S.News & World Report, 7 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2016.