Dozens of California Baptist University students, faculty, staff and Riverside community members joined in on the new CBU Recreational Center ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan 14.
The event, moved indoors because of cold temperatures and high winds, began with words from Alex Wright, president of Associated Students of California Baptist University.
“This is a great, tangible piece of God’s blessing,” Wright said. “I was thinking, looking at the basketball court and in the racquetball rooms, the only thing missing in here are students. After today it is going to be packed and that is going to be the best thing about this recreation center.”
Dr. Ronald L. Ellis, CBU president, referred to the opening of the state-of-the-art recreational center as another building block for the university.
“My favorite word is ‘wow,’” Ellis said. “I think (the recreation center) is a ‘wow’ addition to the university.”
During Ellis’s time as CBU president, nearly all of the properties on the block of land in which CBU is located have changed hands. The university acquired the property for the
recreational center during the 2005-2006 academic year.
Since then the university has been waiting for the right time to start the recreation center construction while honoring the leases of previous tenants.
“I like to move quick but realize that it is all in God’s timing,” Ellis said.
Ellis said he predicts that one day CBU’s main entrance will be found near the recreation center as the university works toward connecting a road through campus to the corner of Adams Street and Diana Avenue.
The recreational center now welcomes students Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to midnight, Friday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to midnight.
Individual and small group training sessions will begin Jan. 28. Students are allowed three sessions a semester. Schedules and sign-up sheets for fitness classes can be obtained at the center’s front desk. Classes range from kickboxing to cycling and core training with sessions offered throughout weekdays and weekends.
Five full-time staff members and 102 student workers will man the new facility.
“The students really run this building,” said Stefani Plummer, director of the recreational center.
While the center did not have hot water on opening day, Plummer said she was pleased with how smoothly the day and opening had been going.
“The team that has worked (on the recreation center) from the construction crew, to our CBU facility management, to public safety, to administration and the stu-dents and staff getting trained has run really smoothly,” Plummer said.
