Two Senses (with a hint of a third and fourth)

So many in the Daily Deacdom tell me they enjoy the Five Senses posts. Today I had just 15 minutes to toodle about Reynolds Gym/Wellbeing Center, so not enough time for a full Five Senses, but I can give you two: sight and hearing. Here goes.

I see…

The lobby of the living room portion of the building. It’s big and open.

A small electronic fireplace with comfy chairs. There are a couple of massage chairs (unoccupied). Some high tables and lower tables and chairs. Students – and a few staff – are peppered around these various tables. I am surprised so many tables are open.

Administrators I know – they are coming in to the conference room for what I think at first is a meeting. Later, one tells me it is some kind of wellbeing seminar – maybe on bone density.

A big, green kayak duct taped to a brick column. Not sure if this is advertising Outdoor Pursuits, or what.

Lots of students coming and going in workout clothes. Even for the ones who are really sweaty and clearly just had a good workout, none of them are sporting the beet-red face I get when I exercise. [So maybe I can make this Three Senses, because I feel jealousy for that :)]

The lovely and calming waterfall wall. The water trickles down gently and peacefully [yep, definitely can be Three Senses now because I feel relaxed watching the water.]

One person at the rock climbing wall. At my first pass walking by, I thought he was climbing, but on the way back it looked like he had a ladder. So not sure what is going on there 🙂

A handful of students on cardio machines. Shockingly few. It’s 11:45 am and I expected it to be packed. But there is plenty of space and free machines.

A couple of female students doing stretchy movements on the floor. I envy their flexibility, gotta say.

An occupied study nook. As I wander around the building, I’ve stumbled on this nook overlooking the pool. There are several seating groups in this nook – some high tables, some comfy chairs like you’d have in a living room. About half are occupied. Students appear to be studying or doing homework – headphones on, laptops open.

A person swimming laps, being watched over by a student lifeguard. [Aside, I can’t tell you how many million times better the new pool is vs. the old pool. Like leaps and bounds better.]

I hear…

Really peppy, loud workout music. It’s piped in – can’t tell if it comes from the living room/lobby portion of the building, or in the workout rooms. This is good, energetic, upbeat music.

The belt of treadmills whirring. On another machine as I pass through, there is the rhythmic thumping of running as their feet hit the belt.

A metallic THWACK! sound as an outer door opens and closes in the stairwell. Then a person’s footsteps on the stairs.

A different kind of metallic CLICK! This is the sound of someone using weight machines and the weight plates tapping each other with each rep. CLICK! [pause while the pulley moves it back up] CLICK! [pause] CLICK!

Flip flops hitting a student’s heels as she walks by.

Maybe I can hedge my bets and offer this commentary on a fourth sense: smell. What is so notable about Reynolds now is its lack of smell. It used to have this terrible 1950s-gym-smell (think decades of old gym clothes and chlorine) – and now there does not seem to be any of that. For as many students, faculty, and staff who use the workout facilities, this is remarkable.

Since I was in the Wellbeing Center, I remembered my goal of trying to have a few inspirational things in the Daily Deac for a ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ feature. So here are my finds. Hope they bring you a little extra positivity today!

— by Betsy Chapman ’92, MA ’94