CRCE

CRCE- Campus Recreation Center East- is a public recreation center on campus located on Gregory and Dorner Drives. The Facility itself has many different areas that will suit any one's needs- whether it be exercise machines, the weights, the track, the pool, the basketball courts, or the many other things it has to offer. It's no wonder it's so popular!


CRCE opened on March 30, 2005 and the whole project cost about $28 million. Some of the different areas of the gym include the three-court gym, the three-lane track, the multi-activity court (MAC) gym, a fitness center with cardio and weight machines, and an entire aquatic center with a slide, volcano water fountain, and a spa. But not only does it have all of this athletic equipment, it also has a juice bar for snacks and drink, a lounge area with TVs on the wall in the lobby, and wi-fi throughout the entire building. While I was talking with some of the people who work there, they said that CRCE's mission statement is as follows: "Campus recreation cultivates positive lifelong learning through inclusive and valuable resources that empower our campus to achieve, develop leaders, and serve the global community at the highest level."


When I went to CRCE to ask questions and find out more about the building and the recreation aspect of it, I met two students who worked at the desk in the lobby: Anton (a junior) and Juan (a senior). Both have been working at CRCE for almost a year now and when asked why they wanted to work there they both said the same thing: "for the money." Even though their answer didn't really appeal to me, they both told me they really like their jobs, so that made up for their blunt answer. They also told me that they both worked over the summer, something I learned was optional at CRCE and any other Campus Rec place. They also said it's nice because when the school gets a break, they do too.

I also learned that there are different jobs that people can do at a Campus Rec center like CRCE. For one there's the person who waits at the desk when students first walk in and swipes their ID cards, and then after a while has to go upstairs and wipe off and clean all the workout equipment. Juan told me he started out as that, but now he works behind the counter and rents out equipment helps people with classes, and answers any questions people might have (like my pesky ones about his job). There are other jobs such as life-guards, trainers or physical fitness assistants, staff that teaches classes or lessons, as well as those who are on top- like the managers of the entire facility. The process of getting a job may seem simple, but there is actually a lot to go through: first attend an info session, then fill out an application, next you might be asked to go through an interview; after all that you have to become CPR certified, take a first AID class, and attend a blood-born pathogens lecture.

When I asked Anton and Juan what attracted the most people to CRCE, they said a major area was the three-court gym: it is the most used and mainly used to play basketball. One thing they said didn't have too many people was the swimming pool. In the end, they said it depends on the time of day in order to tell what gets the most use. One thing that does hurt CRCE, even though they are both basically the same thing, is the ARC. The ARC is another Campus Rec center, but bigger and with more machines and equipment to offer.


As for the term "leisure", it's easy to see that the center does not have one definition- but many. The center offers many different activities for one to participate in during their leisure time. I think it's a safe bet to say that CRCE's definition of leisure is to stay active, use time wisely, but to have fun at the same time. When I asked Anton his personal definition, he said, "An island of free time where you have no scheduled responsibility for anything," but that's only because he took this course over the summer.

Synopsis:
While working on this assignment and visiting CRCE and really looking at what it has to offer for both its participants and its employees, I have come to the conclusion that I would loooove to work for a rec center. I think that it would be a very fun and exciting experience for one to have. You're able to interact with people on a daily basis, you work with a team to come up with ideas on improving the center, and you can assist those who want to learn more about recreation and leisure, and what it has to offer. There are many different jobs offered at a rec center and (so far) each seems to be pretty exciting. Learning about the different jobs at CRCE made me realize that even with a fun job at a rec center, you can work your way up in the chain of jobs: like starting at swiping ID cards, moving to the front desk, then maybe a trainer, then maybe one day a manager, and so on. But it's not only beneficial to you. You are also helping others lead a better life in the world. After looking at some of the notes we took in class, I realize that physical fitness is a very big aspect of CRCE- the school built this center (along with the ARC) in order to ensure and offer better and healthier lives for their students. After reviewing my notes and visiting CRCE, I honestly don't think there are any cons to working in a rec center, at least none that can't be fixed.
hayes18