Karissa Willmott And Brittany Westerberg

The new SDSU Wellness Center, a $12 million project set to be finished and ready for Fall 2008, is on time and on budget, according to Doug Wermedal, assistant dean of student affairs.

“We’re very pleased with the efforts of the SDSU Physical Plant and Sunkota Construction,” Wermedal said.

On Oct. 9, two pieces of the rock climbing wall were craned into the building from the ceiling. The size of the climbing wall made it necessary for it to be put in place before the building was completed. The pieces were both roughly eight-feet by 10-feet by 35-feet in size, with one weighing two-tons and the other two and one-half tons.

Rock climbing can be beneficial in several ways. It can help improve balance, body awareness and coordination, cardiovascular capacity, flexibility and muscular endurance, strength and tone. It can also improve patience, perseverance and trust.

“It’s not your father’s exercise,” Wermedal said. “It’s a more modern approach to fitness, which also emphasizes endurance, can be done in natural outdoor settings, in groups or solo. A very flexible sport.”

Depending upon the configuration of the climbing routes and the ability of the climbers, Wermedal said, about six to 10 climbers will be able to use the wall at the same time.

“The rock climbing wall will be really fun,” freshman journalism major Carrie Moore said. “It will give students the chance to climb in a safe environment.”

Along with the climbing wall, the Wellness Center will boast other climbing equipment, cardio equipment such as treadmills and elliptical machines, a track, men’s and women’s locker rooms, floor exercise rooms for aerobic classes and three basketball courts. The equipment will be student-exclusive, as athletes will be able to use the equipment in the HPER Center.

“This Wellness Center has always been a goal of mine,” Wellness Director Shari Landmark said. “It will be great not just for students but the community of Brookings to have a place to go and play basketball or just work out.”

In addition to the wellness staff being moved to the new center, the Student Health and Counseling will be moved to new offices from their current offices in West Hall, on the west end of campus. This will enable the nutritionists to work with exercise specialists to create better programs for students and put Student Health nearer to the center of campus and more readily accessible to everyone. Other offices will also be included for administration and other employees.

#1.883231:9526070.jpg:rockwallbetter.jn.jpg:Both pieces of the rock climbing wall were installed in the Wellness Center on Oct. 9.: