The University Student Union is celebrating the future Student Recreation Center today by holding a Halftime Report on the Matador Bookstore lawn.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., students can go learn about what the new center will offer as well as participate in activities, enter raffles for prizes, speak to different CSUN sports clubs and walk away with recreation center swag.
“The Halftime Report is a celebration of the halfway mark of the completion of the center,” said Kaila Lavin, graduate assistant for the Student Recreation Center. The grand opening will be in Spring 2012.
The event will have several different booths including racquetball, basketball, cardio and weights, and a rock wall, representing some of the features of the new center.
Students who visit the different stations will get stamped and get a free recreation center cup.
Those who participate in the activities can earn a raffle ticket from each station to enter in drawings to win fitness memberships, day passes, Frisbees and more.
“This is our first recreation center awareness event to inform the students and community about what the center will offer them,” Lavin said.
A.S. will provide the portable rock wall for the event, which will be used for a rock climbing competition to students who sign up to see who can race to the top of the 20-foot structure the fastest.
Other attractions at the event include several CSUN sporting clubs, including soccer and hockey, which will talk to students about practice times and what the clubs offer. Attendees can also fill their free cups at the trail mix station and listen to music provided by DJ Rich throughout the event.
There will also be a booth for students to vote on the official slogan for the new center.
The USU recently held an online open forum for suggestions from students and picked the top three for today’s event.
“We ran the contest and got a whole ton of ideas,” said Kevin Lizarraga, USU marketing manager. “And we’ll put out the three slogans we picked: ‘Make Your Move,’ ‘Where Matadors Play,’ and ‘Matadors… Make Your Move’ for students to vote on.”
The USU is sponsoring the event and is in charge of marketing for the Student Recreation Center until the structure is finished and staffed with its own people.
“The USU is basically the hub for the recreation center,” Lizarraga said. “As we move closer to opening, we’ll be branding the center separately from the USU.”
The Student Recreation Center dwarfs the current fitness center and will feature a wide range of activities for visitors. There will be a 50-foot climbing wall with 11 different routes.
“One section will lean out a little bit in an overhang for more advanced climbers,” said Tim Szczepanski, A.S. outdoor adventures coordinator. “The difficulty is also determined by how big the holds are, like grabbing with your whole hand versus just two fingers.”
