Date: 2/16/10
Contact: Bree Davis
Illinois State University students are taking their future rec building to new heights. A 30-day student- led effort to raise $250,000 for the rock climbing wall in the new Student Fitness and Kinesiology/Recreation Building is now underway, with an official nod of encouragement coming from President Al Bowman. Al Bowman's Rock Star Challenge is an opportunity for students to pitch in and make donations in $10, $20 and $30 increments. Students can donate at www.AlBowmanRockStar.com.
Bowman is a fitness enthusiast and avid rock climber. He has scaled Mt. Hood, Pike's Peak, Mt. Shasta and Mt. Rainier. Bowman even compares his role as president to his passion of mountain climbing.
"Leadership requires the commitment of a team," said President Bowman. "I have never climbed a mountain completely on my own. The first reason is my wife would never let me. But the real reason is-if I tried, I would fail. We all have personal ambitions and individual goals, but we must always remember the many people who help us accomplish those goals. On a mountain, we rely on the commitment of each other-expending individual effort, but functioning as a team. It is the same way at Illinois State. If I had to use one word to describe my presidency-the word would be partnerships."
When the $250,000 goal is met and the building is complete, President Bowman will go head-to-head with the Student Government Association President in a race to the top of the climbing wall.
The fundraiser is also a challenge to student groups. The registered student organizations that raise the most money will receive prize packages. For details on the challenge or to make a contribution visit www.AlBowmanRockStar.com
Located where the Dunn-Barton and Walker residence halls once stood, the Student Fitness and Kinesiology/Recreation Building will fill an entire city block before reaching across University Street to connect with McCormick Hall by an elevated walkway. The new facility will stand three stories, and provide 170,000 square feet when completed in January 2011. With basketball courts, an indoor track, aerobic spaces, and a climbing wall, the building will be appreciated by students as a major upgrade from the smaller recreation center located off campus. The building, which will also become home to the School of Kinesiology and Recreation and the Department of Recreation Services, is a point of pride for the extended campus community.
Features of the new building include:
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