Steve Boersma - ARC (Activites and Recreation Center)

[Main entrance on 2nd and Peabody]
I recently visited the Activities and Recreation Center to gain a better understanding of how Campus Recreation is utilized at the University of Illinois. By taking a look at the many different programs that the ARC has to offer, one can see exactly how influential recreation can be in an individual’s life. During my visit, I was able to gain a stronger idea of how campus recreation functions and the purposes it has to serve the campus.

[Basketball courts]
The ARC, formerly known as the IMPE, opened in 1971 and was originally the Intramural-Physical Education Building. After shutting down in 2005 for repair, the building opened again in 2008 as what we all know as the “ARC.” It is located on 2nd and Peabody, and serves the campus for both its recreation and activity needs.

[Weight room located in the basement]
The ARC offers several job opportunities for interested individuals. You are required to attend an information session, submit an application along with a resume with cover letter, and complete an interview. Job options at the ARC include event and facility management, group fitness, intramural activities, personal trainers, or certified lifegaurd.


[sunbathers at the outdoor pool]
The Activities and Recreation Center is doing very well. The Arc tends get very busy at night, however many individuals do not have to wait to use machines so they remain quite happy and satisfied. On warmer days many people use the pools to swim or sunbathe. Intramurals are an additional activity that students become very excited to participate in, and are a big part of campus recreation.

[Rock wall]
The ARC’s name, Activities and Recreation Center, provides us with the main benefit that it strives to achieve, campus and community improvement. An employee of the ARC defined its leisure as an opportunity to supply the campus with activities that can refresh someone’s mind or body after a long day of school or work. This holds true through the many programs that are offered to the students.


[The cardio/weight area on the upper level overlooks the main entrance]
Campus Recreation is one of the ten major categories of service providers that make up the leisure –service delivery system. It includes intramural athletics or sports clubs, social activities, trip-and-travel programs, performing arts groups, entertainment, lounges, film series, and many other forms of recreation on university campuses. Campus recreation provides individuals with both positive and negative aspects when it comes to having a job. For example, a student can have the luxury of earning money while at the same time working on a quality education. You do not have to worry as much as to whether or not you think you will be able to make it through the school year, because you can work your way through the school year earning money. However, if you are working and earning money then you are not working on your education. Therefore, you might begin to have difficulty with classes and grades can suffer. An additional positive to holding a job in the campus recreation field is that you work with people the majority of the time and you develop leadership skills that are valuable in life, while having fun at the same time.