Slideshow: Rec Center Turns 10

Photography by Meg Buscema, Carolyn Richardson, Steve Thackston and Carson Tortorige

Select any photo below to start the slideshow

The Department of Recreational Services will celebrate the 10th birthday of the Student Recreation Center on Thursday, Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in conjunction with the annual Day in the Rec. Students, faculty and staff are invited to the event, which will feature games and prizes, free food, music and the annual volleyball tournament. For a full schedule of events, visit www.gsu.edu/recreation.

Fun Facts about the Rec Center:

Groundbreaking took place on Nov. 18, 1999. The former J and D parking lots were razed and the structure took 22 months to complete. It opened during the fall semester of 2001.
The first day of the 2011 fall semester recorded 3,881 entries, the largest ever.
Since its opening, the Rec Center has recorded more than 4 million entries.
GSU faculty/staff membership is close to 30 percent. The national average of faculty/staff memberships is 12 – 14 percent.
Touch the Earth is one of the largest outdoor programs in the Southeast, and it includes a climbing wall and a new bouldering cave that opened this year.
The Rec Center is open 100 hours a week.
The Rec Center employs more than 160 student staff members and 18 graduate assistants.
Zumba is the most popular drop-in fitness class
The elliptical cross-trainer is most popular piece of fitness equipment
More than 1,500 people have scaled the 35-foot climbing wall since July 2010
Yoga is the most popular instructional program

Facility Awards:

National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Outstanding Recreation Facility – 2002
KPS Group Honorable Mention for Architecture and Design in Education – 2002
The American Institute of Architects – Birmingham Chapter, Design Award – 2002
Athletic Business Facility Merit – 2004