CONWAY, Ark. (Sept. 27, 2007)– Former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley officially opened Hendrix College’s new $23 million, 100,000-square-foot Wellness and Athletics Center by encouraging its users to develop the facility as a place of personal and community growth.
Speaking to a crowd of more than 700 gathered in the new Grove Gymnasium inside the WAC, Bradley said the facility should ultimately be used to build a sense of community on the Hendrix College campus and throughout the region.
“This facility represents one of the greatest things about America," Bradley told the audience. “It's a place for people to get together and do things. That’s been an important part of our culture throughout American history. In a fundamental way, this will bring people together. Buildings have a way of doing these things.”
Earlier in the day, Bradley addressed a Hendrix class titled “Issues in Politics: Terrorism,” where he discussed the country’s role in a variety of international relations events. Questions from students – ranging from Bradley’s experiences in the U.S. Senate to his opinions of current world events – dominated the session, with Bradley’s answers receiving national media attention.
Bradley’s accomplishments as an All-American basketball player at Princeton, a Rhodes Scholar, Olympic gold medalist, NBA standout, U.S. Senator, presidential candidate, business leader and author made Bradley an outstanding exemplar of the benefits of a well-rounded education, Hendrix Athletics Director Danny Powell told the convocation audience.
A variety of other events took place during the day-long celebration, from specialized tours of the building to a health and wellness fair featuring several area businesses. Students ended the day by participating in a "dive-in movie" in the WAC's aquatic center where "Jaws" was the feature presentation.
The Wellness and Athletic Center includes an indoor track, four indoor tennis courts, a gymnasium and special events center, an indoor soccer court, a 26-foot-high climbing wall, an aquatic center with an 8-lane competitive swimming pool, a diving pool, a sun porch and a retractable roof; and a state-of-the-art fitness center with treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bicycles equipped with internet access, free weights, and other fitness components.
Hendrix College, founded in 1876, is an undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college is among 150 colleges featured in the 2007 edition of the Princeton Review America’s Best Value Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.