[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When Utah joined the Pac-12 back in 2011, the university made necessary adjustments in an attempt to play catch up with the other schools in the conference. With schools such as UCLA, Stanford and Oregon on its roster, it’s safe to say that the Pac-12 has some of the best facilities in the country, and Utah has always seemingly been a step behind
Last January, however, alumni and students alike joined together in excitement for the grand opening of a new building on campus that just might have this school finally looking down on its peers — the Student Life Center.
The building created quite the buzz when the plans for it were first announced, and deservedly so. The Student Life Center contains amenities such as a 50-meter pool, indoor hot tub, five sport courts, a four-story climbing wall, an indoor track and a weight/cardio room. It has been the hot spot for students to hang out this past semester.
“It’s a great place for students to wind down,” junior Chad Carlson said. “There’s a bunch of different things I can do there, and all in just a couple of hours. Where else can I do that?”
The Student Life Center is a new building for everyone, including the older students on campus, and provides services for more than just lifting weights or playing pick-up basketball. In addition to all of that, the Campus Recreation Services department offers classes in which students can participate in at their own leisure.
“I think we have pretty much everything. We really try to cater all our programming to all the people who are either beginners or experienced, either one,” Associate Director of Operations Cheri Jenkins said.
If working out or playing sports isn’t their thing, students can kick back at Freshen’s Cafe for a quick bite to eat. It is located right across the hall from where students tap into the building. Or maybe a student has a financial crisis and needs to head over to the University Federal Credit Union branch, which is located just down the hall.
If worst comes to worst, students can use the Student Life Center as an outlet to just get away — whether that is from family or friends — or to find some peace and quiet to gear up for that next exam.
“[Students] can really do anything here,” Jenkins said. “If they just wanna come here and study, there’s all kind of study areas, quiet areas. We’ve got tables that have power, so if they just wanna come in and study, they can.”
With summer underway, however, how much studying will actually be getting done? Instead of diving into those books, students can dive into the water by utilizing the pool area that the building has to offer. In addition to the indoor 50-meter pool, there are indoor and outdoor leisure pools for students to enjoy, especially during the hot months of summer.
“Even if they just wanted to lay out by the pool, we have some great recliners,” Jenkins said. “Or even if they wanted to study outside, we have people studying and we have tables. There’s a lot of area around the building.”
The Student Life Center is a perfect building for students to live their lives in. In all of the hustle and bustle of opening a new building on campus, there have been thousands of university students taking advantage of the useful facilities that the building has to offer.
Though it’s only been a semester since it opened, the Student Life Center is proving to be a multi-million dollar success here at the U.
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