Portland State Magazine Spring 2007

Getting physical in a new space Light-filled space, as shown in these architectural renderings, will give the new Academic and Student Recreation Center a welcoming ambiance. 4 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE SPRING 2007 SOPHOMORE BAILEY JOHNSTON can't wait to get out of the basement of Smith Memorial Student Union, where he now works for PSU's Outdoor Program. Johnston is one of many students looking forward ro the new light-filled Academic and Student Recreation Center expected to break ground chis summer and open its doors in 2009 for swimming, dancing, basketball, badminton, the Outdoor Program, and other recreation. The center will be built on the site of the Portland Center for Advanced Tech– nology at 1800 SW Sixth Ave. The University purchased the soon-ro-be demol– ished building in 1983, which until recently housed engineering programs. Johnston wants the new center to be a place for social interaction as well as physical activity. "I hope to see students create a new sense of community and come to campu not just for classes, but to hang out in this building too," he says. Alex Accetta, PSU coordinator of campus recreation, has the same hopes. When he talks about fitness , intramural, and club sports on campus, he is chinking of statistics that point to higher retention races and increased academic success for students who gee involved. And a new facility will make this possible, especially because the Peter Stott Center-PSU's physical education building-is so over– crowded and overbooked. "We do a good job of scheduling for the resources we now have," says Accetta, "but the Stott Center was built when our student population was only 8,000. Today we are 25 ,000." For example, badminton is played on squash courts, soccer players practice on racquetball courts, rable tennis players meet in hallways, and the one dance instruc– tion area on can1pus is booked all day, every day.