Isolated from the rest of the campus, the Physical Education Complex (PE Complex) stands like a fortress. Many new students, and some not-so-new ones, do not even know that Northeastern has a recreational facility. Use of the PE Complex is covered by student tuition but few students actually know what Campus Recreation has to offer.
Campus Recreation is divided into six major programs: aquatics, fitness and wellness, intramural sports, club sports, outdoor adventure, and informal recreation.
It also employs the largest number of students on campus. Various employment possibilities are available in each of the six different programs.
The Aquatics program offers many different activities to tempt water lovers of any kind. There are open and lap swimming times in an eight-lane, 25-yard lap swimming area with a diving well.
Campus Recreation also offers lifeguard, first aid, and CPR training. Additionally, they offer private swim lessons to students, members, and non-members.
There are also swimming and diving lessons and the Neptune program for children age five and up. All information is available at the aquatics office in the PE Complex.
Fitness and wellness has everything to help you stay in shape. There is a weight room, various fitness machines, a running track, basketball courts, and four racquetball courts. Numerous fitness classes are also available free of charge.
The Mind and Body classes like yoga and Pilates are available to everyone for a small fee. Members and non-members can also sign up for a personal trainer for a fee.
The Intramural Sports program has competitions in sports such as basketball, flag football, volleyball, dodge ball, and cross-country running. Every semester the intramural staff plans different student competitions depending on the season.
Last semester, for example, the competitions included tennis, dodge ball, kickball, and flag football. This semester’s (spring 2008) competitions include soccer, coed softball, basketball, and golf scramble.
Current clubs that are open for everyone to join are aikido, men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s baseball, women’s soccer, boxing, mixed martial arts, and tennis. Anyone can form a club if they follow the rules posted on the Campus Recreation website which can be linked to from the NEIUport homepage (http://neiuport.neiu.edu) under the “Campus Life” tab.
To sign up for Intramural activities or find out information about Club Sports, visit the intramural office.
Informal recreation means just coming into the PE Complex and trying out everything there is to offer. There is the main gym, with its basketball courts, and the auxiliary gym with its high ropes course, now open for the student body, and the climbing wall.
The locker rooms have showers and built-in steam rooms. There are two fitness studios with a daily schedule of various activities and fitness and wellness classes are also available near the four racquetball/handball courts.
The weight room, fitness equipment, swimming pool, and the four outdoor tennis courts are also available during the open times that are posted in the Campus Recreation schedule.
All throughout fall 2007, professors and trainers passed out surveys to everyone who entered the PE Complex. These surveys were written to get the opinions on various aspects of the PE Complex.
From these surveys, a new schedule was created to serve the community better. The new hours for Campus Recreation are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. CST, and Tuesday and Thursday, the complex will be open from 7:00 a.m. until 10: p.m. CST.
For more information on the above programs and services and for information about family recreation hours stop by the PE Complex. Or, access the NEIUport homepage (http://neiuport.neiu.edu), click the “Campus Life” tab, scroll down to the “Mind Body Connection” portal and click the “Campus Recreation link,” or call the front desk at 773-442-4135.