The Campus Recreation staff has concludedMaintenance Week, during which, the Student Recreation Center was closed to undergo cosmetic changes, a deep clean, and various improvements. As the Student Recreation Center is one of the first amenities that future students see on their tour of West Virginia University, it is important to maintain an excellent facility. Future students will not only be impressed by the imposing climbing wall and plethora of gymnasium courts, but with the air of professionalism and consideration that the staff at the Recreation Center continue to infuse into their work. Maintenance Week is but an extension of the constant care that the staff at the Recreation Center exhibit on a consistent basis.
Maintenance Week activities include deep cleaning of fitness areas, fitness equipment, aquatics area, and court floors; installation of new fitness equipment and repair of equipment damaged by general wear and tear; installation of more energy efficient lighting in the aquatics area; and resurfacing of the pool. In addition, the climbing wall floor is receiving an upgrade from carpeting to rubber, increasing its elasticity.
Moreover, Maintenance Week not only provides an excellent environment for those who will utilize the recreation center’s facilities, but it promises to improve the working environment for the staff, as it is an “all hands on deck” effort, involving workers whose jobs do not typically involve maintenance work. Campus Recreation Director Andy Darling said that “In addition to making a concerted effort to clean and update our facility and equipment, staff who may seldom interact otherwise, get to work side by side, doing tasks that they typically don't do. It's almost as much of a teambuilding payoff as anything else.”
The Student Recreation Center at West Virginia University is an excellent institution poised to become even more excellent with the work of Campus Recreation’s Maintenance Week. The effect of the work accomplished during Maintenance Week will be felt throughout the year, as Andy Darling notes:“Campus Rec staff have a strong sense of pride in their facility and I think that the time spent during our shutdown contributes to that and carries it through the year. When you've crawled around and detail scrubbed something, your eyes are drawn to it when it gets dirty later on. We're one of the many ‘front doors of campus’ with prospective students and families touring to see what's available to them. We want to make sure what they see is the clean, modern facility that we provide for our campus community.”
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