SRSC surges with students

The Student Recreational Sports Center had a surge in student participation recently as new and old students crowded into the facility. \n“They’re really eager to plug in,” said Kimberly Gray, director of marketing and sponsorship. \nGray attributes the large amount of people to the “push” that Recreational Sports had leading up to the school year. Such events included the Sneak Peek Orientation held this summer and the Welcome Event on Aug. 27, which 3,000 people attended. For freshmen, the novelty of the center was a big draw. \nIn the first two weeks of the 2006 fall semester, there were 43,000 visits to the facilities. \nWith so many people working out, the SRSC, especially the strength and conditioning area, can become rather crowded. The peak hours of turnout are between 4:30 and 9 p.m. \nBecause of this rush, some students try to show up at different times.\n“There are so many people at certain times of the day, and you can’t find a machine,” said junior Sofia Halvacs, who generally tries to work out at 8:30 a.m. “That’s why I like to come in the morning.”\nThough late afternoon is the busiest, there are still many times for participants to choose from, including a variety of cardio and weight machines, exercise classes and a swimming pool. \nFor those who don’t like the crowd, the onslaught will slow through September and throughout the semester, though the rush of students will resume in January, Gray said. \n“The primary mission is academic,” Gray said. “So when students begin to have projects due, they’ll start pulling back on time spent here,” Gray said.