Wellness Center Design and Expansion

[Jack4Life]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

Yes, I started in 1972. Although my wife did not graduate from SDSU, we have stayed in close contact with the school through the years and now as I mentioned, my daughter will attending next year. Every year I am amazed by the improvements to the campus. The only weak spot is the central campus where the Barn is located. I, too, attended many classes in Ag Engineering and it was the edge of campus next to the new HPER center. The library opened the year after I graduated (if only I had the new library when I attended, my grades would have been so much better. Yeah, right!!). But I do appreciate the way the campus had had continual upgrades. I travel through Vermillion regularly with my work, and there is simply no comparison between the physical plants of the two location (admittedly I am prejudice). After all this rambling, I don't have a problem tearing down old and building new. Another point that you were making about playing a game in the Barn, I believe some of bleachers from the Barn are now in the ice rink built in Yankton last year.

[Charger13]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

I would like to see the Barn renovated as an academic building more so than ahtletics. I think it would be a waste of money to renovate the Barn for wrestling and volleyball. They are just fine in Frost and I think it is better to have our athletics in a more centralized location. If the Barn was used for athletics parking would be a mess. I think the barn is a great building, and I would like to see it renovated, but maybe for something besides athletics.

[thebluehatman]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

Back to the Wellness Center.  I can't wait to see construction start. Look forward to watching this nice building go up over the next year or so.

[Jack4Life]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

Sorry, I got off topic. I agree with you. Can't wait. This is going to be a real asset for the university...Do you knoe when construction is expected to begin?

[thebluehatman]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

Sorry, I got off topic. I agree with you. Can't wait. This is going to be a real asset for the university...Do you knoe when construction is expected to begin?

As soon as the ground starts to thaw. Quite a bit of dirt work to be done with that massive building.

[Jack4Life]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

Yea, all that state of the art earth sculptering that was put in with the construction of the HPER building and the library now has to go. Wait a minute, I guess that was over 30 years ago. Man does time fly!!

[el_presidente]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

I've been wanting to post on this topic but my internet comes via satellite and the snow storm buried it...anyways as Senator07 said bids were accepted/opened last Monday. We should know who the construction company is once the bid is finalized and contracts signed. The bids do include a completion timeline but sometimes those things are renegotiated I think. Either way, within two weeks we should know the contracting company and the approximate start date depending on weather.

[Jack4Life]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

I know this has been menioned before, but I am too lazy to look back. Does the BOR provide any of the funding for the new wellness center or does SDSU fund the entire project?

[NightHawk78]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

I know this has been menioned before, but I am too lazy to look back. Does the BOR provide any of the funding for the new wellness center or does SDSU fund the entire project?

The major source of funding for this project is student fees that will repay a bond. Other funding has come from donations, university funds, and the city of Brookings, if memory serves me correctly.

[GoJacks]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

[quote author=JimmyJack link=1161684307/15#25 date=1172941130][quote author=Haldersham link=1161684307/15#24 date=1172937130][quote author=NightHawk78 link=1161684307/15#16 date=1172786647][quote author=2002jack link=1161684307/0#14 date=1172784192]Are they tearing down the Barn?

Nope. The building is way too historic and there would be too many upset alumni. Ensuring that the building will be useful in the future, however, should be a priority.[/quote]

Historic, maybe, but about two year ago the Foundation held their banquet in the Barn. I had not been in the building for a long time. I was appalled to see the hard wood floor that was once the main attraction of the building was now completly defaced and looked like a hog barn. I think Filbert's idea of renovation for volleyball and other sports that dont require a great amount of seating would be an excellent idea. There was no HPER or Frost when I attended as a student, but if space becomes a premuim and other modern facilities are needed, I would say go ahead and bring the Barn down.

If you want to see a mess, Tuskegee University is an example. It is on a historical register and they are trying to preserve every building built since Booker T Washington arrived on campus. Its hard to get the money to do this and the result, the appearence of the campus goes down with old unoccupied buildings. Often they are waiting on grants and or fund raising to rennovate these buildings. Sometimes it's better to start over with a state of the art new building.[/quote]

Let's see... build a new, boring, decorated shed or refurbish the historic Barn, one of the longstanding anchors of the campus? Hmmm. Pretty easy one: The Barn isn't going anywhere. [/quote]

I have memories of the SDSU Fieldhouse, and commonly called the barn.   After the banquet  I thought about the current condition and apparently as soon as the ground was broken for Forst, the maintence of the hard wood floor stopped that would have been maybe 1970 or there abouts. Its too bad. I feel something needs to be done with THE BARN, but I not advocating a modern shed. I said it depends on what other things are needed on campus and what space is available. I dont know where a rennovation of this building fits in the project board, but you hope its on the project list.
I believe SDSU is more than the memories of BB games in the barn. I remember having phy ed courses in volleyball and weight lifting in the Barn. Also academic needs are more important than memories too, so I think those purposes could change your no brain choice in a hurray.

[/quote]

I believe keeping the Barn is essential.  The building has character.  It is a pretty neat looking building and I am very fond of it.  It is a SDSU Landmark.  It tells stories of time past and athletic lore.  Alumni stepped up to preserve the Campanile a campus structure with zero academic value.  Some of the old buildings must be saved to show SDSU's past, present and future and tell its story.  The old buildings that need to be saved are the Barn, Lincoln Music Hall, The Administration Building, Weneta, Wecota, The Ag Museum, Sullivan Green and Amp Theater and the Campanile, maybe more.  Keeping them is essential.  But SDSU does not have to keep them in there current use or state.  Update them, restore them and keep them useful.
 
"The Barn" is good for campus. I thought it would have made a nice wellness center.  There is room to add on and do it right, expecially with the close proximity of Sexauer Park.  I think it could be transformed and house the SDSU ROTC.  I think it would make a wonderful academic building.

One example is Gunter Hall on the campus of the University of Northern Colorado.  It was there old gym and now houses the Sport and Exercise Science and Nursing Departments.  It has offices, SMART classrooms, computer labs and state of the art biomechanics labs.  They kept the exterior the same and redid the inside.  The even kept center court in the hallway as a reminder of its earlier usage and its importance to the University.  It is a very impressive building.  The building's hallways also have old pictures of former student athletes.  Many older alumni come through the building when they are back to campus and reminisce about days gone by.  

I am providing a link to the Gunter, but it doesn't begin to show how beautiful this building is.


http://www.unco.edu/campustour/subpages/gunter.htm#

[JACKGUYII]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

I could go either way in terms of the debate over preserving or tearing down historical or sentimental buildings. Where I don't agree is doing nothing and allowing these building to deteriote without having a defined purpose. In that case we would be better off tearing them down and utilizing the space in a better manner.

[Haldersham]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

I could go either way in terms of the debate over preserving or tearing down historical or sentimental buildings. Where I don't agree is doing nothing and allowing these building to deteriote without having a defined purpose. In that case we would be better off tearing them down and utilizing the space in a better manner.

I could not agree more and JACKGUYII found a very terse way of saying what I have posted in several paragraphs. To stay on topic, the new Wellness Center is an example of where the current SDSU campus is much better than it was 41 years ago when I left. Back then most students smoked at least a pack of Camels a day, or those with some concern about lung cancer smoked the menthol Salems and also spent a good share of their food money soaking up suds at Horts and other places. No one gave a rip about  phyical fitness or living to be 90. Times have changed and the younger people now on campus realize the importance of phyical fitness and the availabilty of facilites which the new center will have. I think the current student generation is more health conscious and see the value of pledging some of their student fees in order that this facility will be come a reality. To me this is very important and hells bells the memories at the Barn are only the figment of the imagination of those alums who experienced the Barn.

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

[quote author=JACKGUYII link=1161684307/30#40 date=1173023450]I could go either way in terms of the debate over preserving or tearing down historical or sentimental buildings. Where I don't agree is doing nothing and allowing these building to deteriote without having a defined purpose. In that case we would be better off tearing them down and utilizing the space in a better manner.

To stay on topic, the new Wellness Center is an example of where the current SDSU campus is much better than it was 41 years ago when I left. Back then most students smoked at least a pack of Camels a day, or those with some concern about lung cancer smoked the menthol Salems and also spent a good share of their food money soaking up suds at Horts and other places. No one gave a rip about  phyical fitness or living to be 90. Times have changed and the younger people now on campus realize the importance of phyical fitness and the availabilty of facilites which the new center will have. I think the current student generation is more health conscious and see the value of pledging some of their student fees in order that this facility will be come a reality.[/quote]

I agree with you the Wellness Center is a needed facility on Campus. But I will disagree with you about the physical fitness mind set of today's youth. Yes there are many young adults that care about physical fitness, but there is a growing epidemic of inactivity and a nationwide growth of obesity among today's youth. I can attest to that being in the exercise physiology field. I went into the field hoping to do research on athletic performance enhancement and now having to maybe change that area of research in diabetes and exercise research. I think the Wellness Center will be a great place for the Students to go and work out. But, they have to go and use it. They have paid for it with their own money, so I hope they do go and use.

[Haldersham]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

UWM/SDSU

No question obesity now and then was a problem and I am part of that crowd still today. I walk nearly 3 to 4 miles a day inorder to control blood sugar. Also avoid a heart attack and keep my toes, feet and legs until the day they put me in a coffin. Smoking appears to have lessen some what but still 40 years ago, we did not have many people working out with weights in the Barn or riding bicyles and running. The equipment was not available for use. So the new center is long in coming

I have joined the Wellness center from time to time at Frost, and what I seen is a great deal of participation by students and the new facility should encourage them even more so. I was just rambling in generalites about then and now and yes I probably dont have a good feel for statistics. You do so I respect and acept your comments. In addition I could not disagree in that if a facility is available and people don't use it, its not much help to anyone and a waste of resources. General health care thinking has changed a great deal in the last forty years in that the information put out about what a person should do, is much better than it was 40 years ago. There is still the crowd that chooses to ignore that information and that is unfortunate. I been to pulmonary specialists for sleep apena and its kind of sad to sit in the waiting room and observe all the people with lung problems. Good old smoking.

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Wellness Center Design and Expansion

UWM/SDSU

No question obesity now and then was a problem and I am part of that crowd still today. I walk nearly 3 to 4 miles a day inorder to control blood sugar. Also avoid a heart attack and keep my toes, feet and legs until the day they put me in a coffin. Smoking appears to have lessen some what but still 40 years ago, we did not have many people working out with weights in the Barn or riding bicyles and running. The equipment was not available for use. So the new center is long in coming

I have joined the Wellness center from time to time at Frost, and what I seen is a great deal of participation by students and the new facility should encourage them even more so. I was just rambling in generalites about then and now and yes I probably dont have a good feel for statistics. You do so I respect and acept your comments. In addition I could not disagree in that if a facility is available and people don't use it, its not much help to anyone and a waste of resources. General health care thinking has changed a great deal in the last forty years in that the information put out about what a person should do, is much better than it was 40 years ago. There is still the crowd that chooses to ignore that information and that is unfortunate. I been to pulmonary specialists for sleep apena and its kind of sad to sit in the waiting room and observe all the people with lung problems. Good old smoking.

Agree with your comments. There is quite a bit more info out there on what people should do to have healthy lifestyles. I was quite happy to hear when the students were the ones behind the new Wellness Center.