By Michael Peters
The months-long wait for a recreational sports director to lead an intramural sports program drags on, although the hiring process has inched ahead.
A five-member hiring committee interviewed three candidates by phone Friday in preparation for in-person interviews.
“They went really well,” said Jo Anna Benavides-Franke, associate vice president for student engagement and success. “It looks like we’re going to try and schedule at least a couple of them to come onto campus.”
Committee member Allison Garcia, kinesiology senior and Student Government Association senator, said she wants to make sure candidates listen to student ideas.
“My approach really is making sure that this director understands that the focus is on the students,” Garcia said, adding that the person hired must communicate with students efficiently.
She said students want to play active roles, adding that SGA continues to address questions about how the university will spend the recreational sports fee dollars.
“There’s been a lot of talk of where’s the money going because, as students, we obviously have a hard time paying for our tuition, and then to pay another $100 on top of that, you want to know where your money is going,” Garcia said. “You want that transparency of understanding that my money is actually going towards something.”
The university collected approximately $300,000 this semester in part to hire a recreational sports director and renovate space for a fitness center in the Senator Frank L. Madla Building.
According to Franke, administration requested mock-ups of a fitness center design from SJPA design company to show students, a delivery date unknown.
Game room opens Nov. 4
Meanwhile, the office of student activities hired three student workers to prepare for a grand opening of the game room 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Room 105 of the Central Academic Building.
“They are working right now out of the student activities office, developing check-out procedures and doing inventory…,” Franke said.
The game room features a pool table, ping pong and air hockey tables, and a Nintendo Wii. It will open 8 a.m-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays.
