During the summer months, many Hopkins students enjoy their time away from the books by exercising and building up a chiseled look that they can bring back to school in September. In the past, this summer schedule seldom carried over into the academic year with the lackluster weight room on campus, not to mention all the classes and other activities students to which students are devoted. This fall, however, they will have no reason to stop their healthy inclinations with the brand new Ralph O'Connor Recreation Center at their disposal.
The state-of-the-art 63,000 square foot center, which officially opened in January at the beginning of the second semester, fills the need for expansion of student athletic facilities. The adjoining Newton Athletic Center, which formerly served as both recreational center and varsity gym, is now devoted entirely to the use of Hopkins' varsity teams, which leaves the O'Connor Center to the rest. Inside this long-awaited temple for the common athlete lies a myriad of opportunities to get the body in shape.
At the center of the facility lies a multipurpose gym comprised of three parallel basketball courts. At almost anytime of day or night, students and professors alike can head to the courts for full-court games or maybe just pick-up one-on-one battles. This space can be converted into five volleyball courts or can house three badminton courts. On the north end of the gym, four racquetball courts are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Two of the courts are also easily convertible to squash courts. No, they have nothing to do with the vegetable. Equipment is available for both games.
Around the second floor of the gym lies an elevated track, one-tenth of a mile long, for when the weather isn't permitting an outside jog. Say goodbye to the days when four laps equaled a mile.
Perhaps one of the most appealing parts of the new rec center is the climbing wall. At 30 feet high, it has 13 different rope rungs spread out across its width to allow that many climbers to use it at one time. The wall features two artificial cracks that serve as climbing grips and several different routes to challenge all skill levels. On-site climbing education and supervision is provided by a well-trained and experienced staff of fellow Hopkins students. Just remember to yell, "Billet on!" before you make the first step.
The fitness room, located on the right as you enter the center, has all the equipment Richard Simmons could ask for. It houses all new cardio equipment including six treadmills, six elliptical cross trainers, four upright bikes, six recumbent bikes, three ergometer rowing machines and three stretching machines. It also has a 12-piece series of toning equipment for the purpose of lower impact muscle enhancement.
The center also provides giant glass windows looking out onto campus so exercising patrons can snicker at all those outside who get out of breath on their way to Mudd Hall.
Just below the fitness room lies the weight room, where hard bodies and machines collide. Not only is this a great place to meet a future mate, it also allows you to pick equipment designed to tone specific parts of your body. These include Paramount Advance Performance machines, Hammer Strength plate loaded machines and free weight components, for those bodybuilders who exercise the old-fashioned way. There's no better way to start a weekend than with a little bench pressing coupled with the sounds of Kid Rock to psych you up.
The building of the center also led to the renovation of the pool locker rooms for those Hopkins students who enjoy the old backstroke. The new locker rooms are fully air-conditioned and have individual showers, bathing suit dryers and lockers for student access. This provides for a nice environment in which to cool down after a long hard workout.
Those of you who are interested in playing competitive sports but may have not had the right combination of speed and stick-handling ability to make the Blue Jay's lacrosse team can still have a go of it through intramurals. They are offered every season at the center, and students can play in either dorm, fraternity or independent leagues where students form their own teams. Among the most popular sports are indoor soccer and flag football in the fall, dodgeball and basketball in the winter and volleyball and softball in the spring.
On some evenings, part of the gym turns into a ping-pong mecca as some of the best college players in the nation take to upwards of 10 tables with balls and paddles. Don't get intimidated though, since games are open to anyone who might have the inclination. Club sports also provide an outlet for the raging athlete within. Men and Women's teams in ultimate Frisbee, lacrosse and soccer all field full teams which play against other universities' club teams.
With all these amenities, the O'Connor Recreation Center serves to be a central gathering point for students for years to come. Before you know it, this campus is going to start looking like an episode of Body by Jake. That is, of course, a Jake with a penchant for analyzing international conflict who also aspires to be a brain surgeon.
For more information, visit the Web site at:
http://www.jhu.edu/recsport/Facilities/amenities.htm
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