UNC Wilmington students have been waiting-some patiently, some not so patiently-three semesters for the opening of the new Student Recreation Center expansion, and after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 26, the wait was over. 

Hundreds of students joined Chancellor Gary Miller; Director of Campus Recreation, Tim McNeilly; and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, Pat Leonard in front of the Student Recreational Center to cut the teal ribbon to open the new expansion.  The rec center doubled in size with the expansion and has several new features. 

“I’m excited for current students and the fact that it will bring a lot of positive publicity to UNCW,” said UNCW senior, Brandon Wissbaum. “I’m disappointed that I won’t get to appreciate the new rec center that my increase in tuition paid for, but I still believe it is an amazing addition to our campus.”

Expansion began after several pleas were made by the student body in regard to the size of the rec center. With the new expansion done, that is no longer a problem for students.  

“It was too small for the amount of people that wanted to work out,” said UNCW sophomore, Brittany Gragg. “But now it’s really nice not having to wait for a machine anymore. There so much more room, I feel like there are less people watching. It’s not so clumped together.”

The updated rec center includes two pools: an outdoor pool and an indoor pool. The indoor pool is a lap pool equipped with a basketball goal meant for training purposes. The outdoor pool is in the shape of the UNCW Seahawk logo, and is meant for leisure and enjoyment. Three multi-purpose courts have been added, including an enclosed soccer court. Upstairs racquetball courts, ping pong tables and new aerobic machines have been added next to the indoor track.

The fitness area has tripled in size, split into four areas all with new equipment. These four areas include an aerobics area, free weight area, fitness machine area, and treadmill area.

“No matter what I’m in the mood to work out, our new rec center has something for every type of physical activity,” said UNCW junior, Tyler Thomas. “Its massive selection of machines and plethora of indoor recreational activities guarantee a top-notch workout for any kind of athlete.”

Thomas trains daily for his participation in mixed martial arts and has a rigorous fitness schedule to keep in shape. However, students don’t have to be a fitness expert to properly use the recreational center. Fitness beginner, Jesus Madrid, a freshman at UNCW, began working out this week. He attributes this lifestyle change to the new expansion.

 “This is the perfect place for fitness, even if you’re a beginner or a seasoned veteran,” said Madrid. “I’ll be coming here a lot more often from now on.