Esslinger
Continued from Page 1
tions.
About $8.5 million comes
from state building fees collected
by the Oregon State System of
Higher Education, which is now
the Oregon University System.
The remainder of the capital
came from fund raising, Lobisser
said.
“Early in the process, we de
cided we did not have funds to
do everything we wanted to do,”
he said.
But both the covered tennis
stadium and the sports medicine
lab are joint efforts with other
campus organizations. The
sports medicine lab is a coopera
tive effort with Physical Activity
and Recreation Services, the Uni
versity Health Center and the
athletic department, which has
contributed $700,000 of the $1.2
million budget for the new tennis
courts.
"The tennis courts will be a
PARS-managed facility with a
use agreement for collegiate ten
nis — men's and women’s,” Lo
bisser said.
Most of the old facility remains
in use, and though Leighton Pool
was closed during the summer
and fall terms, it reopened about
two weeks ago.
Because of construction, there
are no locker rooms for students
to change in and store their
clothes, but the pool does have
the added benefit of a new me
chanical system that controls
water temperature and filtra
tion.
"It's a little bit of an inconve
nience, but we’re excited and
glad that Leighton Pool is up and
running,” said Brent Harrison,
recreation and intramural direc
tor.
In the meantime, students
change in temporary tents inside
the pool area,
"Unfortunately, that’s the best
we can do as far as accommoda
tions," said Molly Kennedy, fa
cilities coordinator. “But people
have been really receptive to it
and happy that the pool — the
Esslinger Renovation Plans
Matt Garton/Emerald
big pool — is open again.”
Before Leighton reopened, stu
dents could swim in the smaller
Gerlinger pool.
Christi Schones, a junior excer
cise and movement science ma
jor, said not being able to shower
is an inconvenience.
“Like right now," she said,
"I’m still in my wet suit, and I'm
going home to shower.”
Schones also said the thought
of changing so close to other peo
ple seems a little weird, but it
was more inconvenient when the
pool was dosed.
Harrison said he hopes stu
dents can bear with the construc
tion, because "the outcome will
be far more of an advantage than
it has been. ’’
“The benefit to the University
is manifold," Lobisser said, “it
will create a more positive social
environment for those on cam
pus.”
The opportunities from the
recreation center will have a pos
itive effect on recruitment and re
tention, he said.
Students who become in
volved with health-oriented ac
tivities are more likely to develop
a relationship with the institu
tion by establishing a sense of be
longing, Lobisser said.
The University is anticipating
a rise in the number of people
who use the recreational facility.
The early projections estimate
that 2,000 to 2,500 students, fac
ulty and staff will use the new
center on a daily basis. These fig
ures were partially computed by
a 1993 needs-assessment study,
Lobisser said.
Kennedy said Esslinger Hall is
not seeing a large difference in
the number of people using the
facility except when the pool was
closed. Last spring, more than
5,700 people used the recreation
center about 61,000 times com
pared to almost 5,600 people
who visited Esslinger 56,000
times last fall.
Attention
UO Students!
L -Lane-O Credit Union is sponsoring
twenty-five undergraduate scholarships,
each worth $4,000 per year, for the
1999-2000 school year.
To be considered for a JJ-Lane-O scholarship,
the following documents must be postmarked
by February 1, 1999:
1999-2000 UO Scholarship Application
Free .Application for Federal Student .Aid (FAFSA)
U-Lane-O Scholarship Application
Pick up vour applications today in Oregon Hall.
Tired of your
Roommate?
Cooking?
Cleaning?
•. imuting ?
Spaces are available on campus.
For more information, stop by
University Housing or call.
346-4277