Recreation Attracts Students, Adds to College Experience

Recreation Attracts Students, Adds to College Experience

When GianMarco Douglas was thinking about which medical school to attend earlier this year, he had a number of things in mind.

He wanted to go to a school that offered a good education, friendly students and financial aid.

He was considering schools such as the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. All of those schools fit his requirements.

But he also hoped to find a university that offered good recreational activities. He likes playing friendly games of basketball – known as pick-up games – with other students in his free time.

Douglas started doing that when he was an undergraduate¹ student at Emory University.

He discovered that he could make friends with students from his classes through basketball.

"One thing about basketball is that, I noticed, in comparison² to other sports it allows like a good bit of socialization. The court isn't very big. It's a good balance between playing a very active sport but also having enough of a break to socialize."

The basketball games resulted in invitations to parties and other events. Between games, students even traded information about professors and classes.

Douglas has visited friends and family in Italy. Based on seeing what university life is like there, he thinks international students who are thinking about studying in the U.S. would be surprised by the recreation opportunities.

Even e-sports

In Cleveland, Ohio, at Cleveland State University, there is a large recreation center. The center takes up four floors of a building across the street from the school's college of engineering³. It includes swimming pools, basketball courts, weight-training equipment, courts for racquet sports and rooms for classes in activities like yoga and boxing. There is even an area for e-sports competitions.

Michelle Rieger is the senior associate director of programming and operations for the recreation center. She said it makes sense that Douglas, the future medical student, would also want to know about recreational opportunities. She said research by the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association⁴, or NIRSA, shows that 68 percent of students say the campus⁵ recreation center is part of the reason why they choose their school.

Rieger said Cleveland State has long been known as a "commuter⁶ school." That means many students come to the university buildings to take classes and then go home. But she said the recreation center is "a big wow factor for them." Some students even decide to live in university housing⁷ so they can use the recreation center more often.

NIRSA's research suggests that not only does a good recreation center, or gym, help students decide to attend a school, but it also keeps them in school.

In a city like Cleveland, where the weather can be cold and snowy for much of the school year, it is good to have an indoor place for students to spend time. Rieger said that is important for international students who come from warm parts of the world.

"A lot of times, people who aren't used to it, the weather, they don't want to leave their room. So, we do try to do things indoors⁸ for them as well as outdoors to get them moving. And try to do a number of different programs just to entice⁹ them and really get them to feel like they belong here and that there's a community here so that they want to keep coming, not just for the wellness, the physical wellness aspect, but for that social wellness and the mental wellbeing as well."

Cleveland State offers students many off-campus recreational opportunities. Students can go on camping and hiking trips. They can also learn how to use watercraft, such as canoes¹⁰, kayaks and paddleboards. Cleveland is home to an important river and is on Lake Erie, one of America's Great Lakes.

However, not every student goes on those kinds of trips. NIRSA notes that the majority of students center their time on weight training, fitness¹¹ equipment such as treadmills¹³ and open play – like the pick-up basketball games Douglas enjoys.

‘The joy of recreating'

The school offers recreational activities to keep students involved in campus activities. One recent morning, a message board had announcements for a racquet sport called pickleball, a fitness club meeting and a club event for a video game called Rocket League.

Rieger said she wants to make sure the recreation center is "a friendly place for everyone, where they can come in and just experience the joy of recreating."

Feeling at ease¹⁴ was important for Oman Pokhrel, who was lifting weights there recently. Pokhrel is from Nepal and lived in Cleveland for almost 10 years before attending Cleveland State. He is in his first year of criminal justice and business studies.

He comes to the gym nearly every day to lift weights and run.

"I do think people are friendly and enjoy themselves here," he said. Pokhrel said he sees how the recreation center could influence some students.

Pokhrel can get some exercise before or after class, and it is cost-free. Before starting at Cleveland State, he spent extra money to go to a martial¹⁵ arts gym in his community.

"I love going to the gym and lifting weights, I do think having a gym here for me does clear my mind. I feel lighter¹⁶ and faster than I was last year," he said.

‘You might be surprised'

Douglas is the student who attended Emory. He starts medical school later this year at Case Western Reserve University. He said it was surprising how much he valued his time playing basketball with friends during college. He said it is not necessary to be a great athlete to join a pick-up game at a college recreation center.

He offered some advice for international students who may walk past a campus bulletin¹⁷ board and wonder about the activities advertised.

"They should really inquire¹⁸ into those things instead of maybe just seeing an advertisement and like ignoring it. I feel like they would end up perhaps enjoying several of these activities more than expected and make very good friendships."

Words in This Story

recreational –adj. related¹⁹ to something people do to be at ease, to have fun and to exercise

undergraduate –adj. a student at a college or university who has not yet received their degree

socialization –n. the process of educating someone to live in a society

court –n. an area in which some sports such as tennis or basketball are played

opportunity –n. a chance to do something

e-sport –n. an electronic sport usually like a video game

wow factor –n. (informal) something that greatly impresses someone

gym –n. a place to get physical exercise or practice a sport

entice –v. to get someone interested in doing something

aspect –n. a part of something else

fitness –n. using exercise to improve your physical health

treadmill¹² –n. a machine with a motorized belt people run on for exercise

martial arts –n. several forms of self-defense that are widely practiced as sports

bulletin board –n. a board in a public place where people place announcements

1 undergraduate   

n.大学生，大学肆业生

参考例句：

• Mr. Stone spent his undergraduate days in Columbia University,majoring in economics.斯通先生在哥伦比亚大学度过了他四年的大学生活，主修经济学。
• During this time,they are called undergraduate students.在此期间，他们被称为大学本科生。

2 comparison   

n.比较，对照；比拟，比喻

参考例句：

• They make a comparison of New York to a beehive.他们把纽约比作一个蜂巢。
• This dress is really cheaper by comparison.比较起来，这件衣服确实便宜。

3 engineering   

n.工程，工程学，管理，操纵

参考例句：

• The science of engineering began as soon as man learned to use tools. 人类一学会使用工具,工程科学就开始了。
• It was the first great engineering works in the world. 这是世界上第一家大型的工程工厂。

4 association   

n.联盟，协会，社团；交往，联合；联想

参考例句：

• Our long association with your company has brought great benefits.我方和贵公司的长期合作带来了巨大的利益。
• I broke away from the association ten years ago.我10年前就脱离了那个团体。

5 campus   

n.大学校园，学校校园；大学　

参考例句：

• They spoke of the old days on the campus.他们谈起昔日的校园生活。
• The campus covers an area of twenty square kilometres.这个校园占地二十平方公里。

6 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。

7 housing   

n.房屋，住宅；住房建筑；外壳，外罩

参考例句：

• Do you think our housing sales will turn around during this year?你认为今年我们的住宅销路会好转吗？
• The housing sales have been turning down since the summer.入夏以来，房屋的销售量日趋减少。

8 indoors   

adv.(在)室内，(在)户内

参考例句：

• Because of the coldness of the weather we stayed indoors.我们因天气寒冷呆在家里。
• It is very cold outside,you'd better come indoors across the board.外面很冷，你们所有人最好都进屋。

9 entice   

v.诱骗，引诱，怂恿

参考例句：

• Nothing will entice the children from television.没有任何东西能把孩子们从电视机前诱开。
• I don't see why the English should want to entice us away from our native land.我不明白，为什英国人要引诱我们离开自己的国土。

10 canoes   

n.小而轻的舟，独木舟( canoe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This is the Rolls-Royce of canoes. 这是独木舟中的极品。
• Paddles are used especially to propel canoes and kayaks. 短桨特别用于划独木舟和小艇。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 fitness   

n.适合，适当，健康，健身

参考例句：

• They're doing exercises to improve their fitness.他们为增强体质而做体操。
• No one questions her fitness for the job.没人怀疑她能胜任这项工作。

12 treadmill   

n.踏车；单调的工作

参考例句：

• The treadmill has a heart rate monitor.跑步机上有个脉搏监视器。
• Drugs remove man from the treadmill of routine.药物可以使人摆脱日常单调的工作带来的疲劳。

13 treadmills   

n.枯燥无味的工作[生活方式]( treadmill的名词复数 )；（尤指旧时由人或牲畜踩动踏板使之转动的）踏车；（锻炼身体的）跑步机，走步机

参考例句：

• But soon, you may think microwave ovens and treadmills too. 但是不久的将来，您可能还会想到微波炉或健身踏车什么的。 来自互联网
• The Gym has several treadmills an X-trainer machine, bicycles, weights and mats for floor work. 体育馆里配备了：跑步机、教练机、自行车、哑铃和专为做地板运动准备的垫子。 来自互联网

14 ease   

n. 安乐,安逸,悠闲; v. 使...安乐,使...安心,减轻,放松

参考例句：

• His mind was at ease and he felt confident in the future. 他心情舒畅,对前途很有信心。
• You should ease up on the child and stop scolding her. 你应该对那个孩子宽松些,不要再骂她了。

15 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

16 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

17 bulletin   

n.小报，会刊，简明新闻，新闻快报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• The radio bulletin warned of the typhoon.收音机新闻快报发布了台风警报。

18 inquire   

v.(of, about)询问，打听；调查，查问

参考例句：

• You can inquire of your new neighbors where the post office is.你可以问问你的新邻居邮局在哪儿。
• He went to the hospital to inquire about her.他到医院去打听她的情况。

19 related   

adj.有关系的，有关联的，叙述的，讲述的

参考例句：

• I am not related to him in any way.我和他无任何关系。
• We spent days going through all related reference material.我们花了好多天功夫查阅所有有关的参考资料。