Palmer introduces new athletic center

Many people remember Palmer's Alumni Auditorium for the great concerts that took place over the years. Those days are in the past. Over the last year, the building was torn down to its steel support beams and rebuilt as the R. Richard Bittner Athletic & Recreation Center.

Now students and faculty will be able to pursue a healthy lifestyle and make new memories.

The 46,000-square-foot facility includes a skywalk from B.J. Palmer Hall allows year-round indoor access. There's an upper-level running and walking track and $500,000 worth of new exercise equipment installed.

The facility is integrated with the latest technology. The cardio equipment is equipped with Internet, Dish TV and Preva, a program that allows users to track and log their fitness activity. One group-fitness room is a digital, virtual room where users can choose from a variety of fitness programs that run on a 70-inch monitor. The other group-fitness room allows for a variety of fitness classes led by student work-study instructors.

The functional fitness area on east side of the building includes a rugby sled and bounce wall. There is also a free-weight area and traditional weight-lifting machines

The facility also includes an outdoor workout area with cross fit bars, numerous stationary bikes and even a ping pong table.