The 192,000-square-foot facility includes an indoor pool, an outdoor pool area with two sand volleyball courts, several basketball courts, multipurpose rooms, and an indoor jogging track. Approximately 19,000 square feet of space is devoted to exercise equipment, including treadmills, stair climbers, elliptical trainers, and both upright and recumbent exercise bicycles. Student assistants wearing special identifying shirts will be available to help explain and demonstrate the machines.

Faculty and staff and their families can continue to use the Blatt P.E. Center, if they wish.

"The Blatt Center and the services it offers will not change," said Kim Dozier, associate director of campus recreation. "The Thurmond Center wasn't built to replace the Blatt Center. Instead, it complements the Blatt Center and enhances the recreational opportunities available to students, faculty, and staff."

One-year memberships to the new center are available to faculty and staff and their spouses for $360 per person.

Visitors are welcome to spend time in the rotunda area, which features seating, a retail center, and one food outlet. From the rotunda, visitors can see the indoor swimming pool, a 52-foot-high climbing wall, basketball courts, and jogging track.

For more information on the Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, including hours of operation and how to become a member, go to http://www.sa.sc.edu/pecenter/stc/default.asp.

02/03