The new Adam F. Press Fitness Center is buzzing with the many members of the student body. The 15,000-square-foot active space has drawn in groups of students since opening at the beginning of seventh block. One space in particular will continue to draw a niche of students and satisfy the demands of the athletic diversity characteristic of CC students: the multipurpose room.
The multipurpose space will be host to both group fitness and yoga classes. Intramural director Chris Starr noted that an idea for a space like this one has been in the works for a very long time.
“For the past 15 to 20 years, every time we did a survey for the student population regarding their wants for spaces on campus, the three most popular responses were fitness center, an informal gathering space, and a workout studio,” Starr said.
This space is the culmination of results of student surveys, the overwhelming demand for yoga spaces on campus, and the growing popularity for student-run fitness programs.
As plans for the fitness center began to develop, Starr, Athletic Director Ken Ralph, and Senior Associate Director of Athletics Greg Capell teamed up with the architect to share information about the demands and needs of the student body, athletic department, and their vision for the space.
One key result was the 1,100-square-foot multipurpose room, complete with a 180-degree view of Pikes Peak, yoga mats, bolsters, and various new props. With the new space complete, it will be home to a number of classes every day, including yoga, hard-core abs, core conditioning, employee-only yoga, and slackline yoga.
“The fact that we finally have a space that is ours for yoga and other classes is really exciting,” said Sarah Hutcherson, student yoga instructor and leader in the planning process. “We had a number of troubles in the past few years establishing a consistent space to practice. Now we have a clean, warm, and beautiful environment.”
“The involvement of yoga and these types of fitness classes is something we have not been able to fulfill until now because we did not have the space for it. This space allows for informal programming at full capacity,” Starr said. “There was a strong contingency of people already doing yoga on campus. I met with a few of them to plan how we could formalize this and offer a program to the student body.”
While there are a number of classes currently offered by students in the multi-use space, the potential for the variety of programs to expand is great. Students and faculty have expressed interest in Zumba, circuit training, cardio kickboxing, tai chi, and other types of core conditioning classes.
These classes are student-run and taught.
“In addition to the great aesthetics, the new space has eliminated previous scheduling challenges, and has created the potential for yoga workshops and increased participation at many of the classes,” yoga instructor Meridith Antonucci said.
The space also has the potential to serve as a space where teams can gather after home night games and host social hours. It is adjacent to the terrace where students and fans can spend time watching a game or on a beautiful Colorado afternoon.
Starr is open to new program ideas and ways in which the space can be used. Questions and concerns should be directed to Chris Starr at CStarr@ColoradoCollege.edu.
Marika Viragh
Staff Writer
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