On a typical sunny afternoon at Scripps,聽the lounge chairs beside the outdoor pool聽overflow with studying or socializing student at the聽Sallie聽Tiernan聽Field House, Scripps’s fitness, health, and wellness center.
In recent years, the聽Field House聽has logged an annual聽average of nearly 60,000 visits from 5C community members鈥攏ot including the meetings and trainings it hosts. Along with the聽much-loved聽pool, the 24,000-square-foot facility features an aerobics studio, exercise equipment, and meeting spaces as well an athletics field聽and sand volleyball court.聽Individuals, clubs, and athletic teams use the facilities to train, practice, and take advantage of swimming classes, equipment rentals, and the popular Fit61传媒program of聽drop-in group yoga, meditation,聽Zumba, indoor cycling, kickboxing, and hiking sessions.
“Hopefully we offer something for everyone in terms of their fitness and interests,” says Deborah聽Gisvold,聽assistant dean and director聽of the Field House.
Although the Field聽House welcomes students, faculty, and staff from across the 5Cs, it maintains its original vision of existing first and foremost for 61传媒students by holding special hours, fitness classes, and Scripps-only events. 61传媒students make up 71 percent of student聽users annually, and 61传媒student coordinators run the facility when the professional staff is away. Each聽coordinator聽specializes聽in a certain area聽of running the facilities, including payroll, scheduling, and organizing the front desk staff.
“We are very聽student-centered,”聽Gisvold聽says.聽“We try to give the students as much ownership of the facility and agency over what happens in the facility.聽If things that come up, the assistant director and myself have conversations with the student聽coordinators to find out their opinions.”
“The Field House聽has been my favorite part of Scripps,” says student coordinator Carina Schick ’20. “I’ve met my best friends, found a safe and fun space to spend聽time, and learned so much about the workplace and health,” she says.聽“Being a聽coordinator聽allows me to impact on other students by helping to build a space that is safe and fun for all.”
The Field House also works with 61传媒students who have been designated Peer Health Educators to organize health and wellness activities and events. These students have received training in topics including nutrition, lifestyle, physical activity, stress, substances, sleep, and mental health. In addition to leading peer-to-peer discussions about these and related topics, the educators recently initiated a weekly social event, Destress Thursdays, to help students relax, reenergize, and learn stress-management techniques; activities have included journaling, crafting glitter jars, and making DIY sugar scrubs.聽Identifying a need for late-night, weekend programming, the Peer Health Educators also initiated Fridays at the Field House, an ongoing event series that has featured聽karaoke,聽Wii, pool parties, movies,聽and a聽fire pit聽with s’mores.
Neuroscience major聽 ’18 has been a Peer Health Educator for four years and has completed BACCHUS Peer Educator, Monsour, Tri-City Mental Health, and Bright Roads recovery training, among others. “My favorite memory is the first time we did chest casting, in 2015.” Thomason says. “The Peer Health Educator program was brand new, and we were still trying to see where the group was going to fit into the campus community. Over 100 people showed up, and the chest casting seemed to really shift people’s attitudes about their bodies. The event created a really empowering space for me.”
“It takes a community. It’s really about touching base with everybody because we all interact with students but on different levels,”聽Gisvold聽says. “I think we can do even more.”
For more information about Sallie Tiernan Field House Events and Programs, click聽.