Q&A Series: McCann Center Closed, Sport and Recreation Activities Adjusted
Representatives from the Athletic Department and Student Activities hosted a comprehensive session regarding fitness, recreation and campus activities in the fall. Administrators from both departments expressed their determination to host recreational activities in a safe environment to keep students involved and give them the best experience possible.
“We are all in agreement about the emphasis on academic integrity, and we continue to ask all students to find a good balance,” Robert Lynch, director of Student Activities, said. “We recognize out of the classroom experience is extremely important, and we will make sure there is always something to do. Once students get up here, they will be involved very quickly.”
Student Activities is planning to host a wide variety of extracurricular activities in the fall. If possible, activities will commence virtually, including all club meetings. Outdoor in-person events will occur, allowing for social interaction while abiding by CDC guidelines. Indoor games will be approved depending on the group size and ability to socially distance. Administrative teams are creating new ways for the students to be involved and form relationships, including outdoor events like painting, tie-dying, knitting, photography, dance lessons and more. Coordinators are also looking to host a variety of virtual programmings such as trivia and bingo.
Student Activities will host its annual activities fair Saturday, August 29, outdoors, weather permitting. At this event, representatives from organizations and clubs will interact with the student body as they have in the past. The SGA structure will remain the same, including information sessions, speech nights and officer elections. Travel services will still be provided, offering shuttles and buses around the tri-state and to airports before winter break. Off-campus activities are on-hold until restrictions are lifted. Events such as theatre productions will be different this year; however, the clubs will still be active in new and creative ways.
The session also covered updates on athletics, facilities and club and intramural sports.
“We will not be playing collegiate sports this fall, but we hope to push the season to the spring,” Tim Murray, director of Athletics, said. Although there will be no competition with other institutions in the fall, athletic and club teams will still train outdoors following health guidelines.
The Athletics Department plans to continue to develop their athletes and will utilize the various outdoor areas on-campus. As of now, the newly-renovated McCann Center will not open until New York State restrictions are lifted, and there is uncertainty about when information about the spring season will be available.
Club sports and intramural programming will look different in the fall, but administrators intend to work with each club to look for opportunities for the students to stay involved with their team. There will be outdoor recreational games, including corn hole, skills challenges and more. Fitness classes such as Zumba, yoga and boxing will still occur either virtually or around campus.
Extracurricular activity will occur in the fall in different ways. Each team establishes plans to host in-person and virtual events, capitalizing on the outdoor areas that the campus offers. They will adjust their plans according to the health situation on- and off-campus.
“We will continue to monitor how things are going in our state and throughout the country,” Murray said.
Source: Sydney Kysar