Official grand opening for Fanshawe's new Student Wellness Centre

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: MELISSA NOVACASKA, CLAUDIA BERGMAN AND LAUREN DIETRICH
After a two-year wait, Fanshawe's Student Wellness Centre had its grand opening that took place on Sept. 21, where a number of notable guests were in attendance. The facility is a positive addition to the College.

Fanshawe College's new Student Wellness Centre had its official grand opening on Sept. 21. The Centre is a three-story building with a number of facilities and services available for students. The Centre has state of the art exercise equipment such as new spin bikes, a rope trainer, squat racks, a tire flip and even Matrix treadmills that allow individuals to access the Internet and Netflix while they run. Morganna Sampson, president of the Fanshawe Student Union (FSU), explained that the Centre also has bright areas for group exercise classes as well as a large group room to accommodate wellness programming such as mindfulness, meditation, stretching, yoga, group counseling, Indigenous teachings and other programs. The Centre also has quiet rooms for students to sign-up for 45 minute rest sessions. One of the most eye catching new amenities is the 36 foot tall rock wall. Anique Daley, Fanshawe Student Wellness Centre personal trainer, explained that individuals have to fill out a waiver form and will receive an orientation on how to use the wall properly.

According to Daley, there are climbs ranging from beginner to expert so there is something for everyone. “It's definitely fun, exciting and something new that not a whole lot of other colleges have. If you are looking into taking up a new sport, this is something to look into,” Daley said.

In addition, students can also grab a smoothie at the new Booster Juice store, which is situated across from the rock wall. Jylliane Lavin, a student in the human services foundations program, said the new Student Wellness Centre is a positive influence for Fanshawe students. “It's a nice place to hang out with your friends but also be active at the same time.”

The Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic and campus pharmacy have also been moved to the Centre. The Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic offers students services such as mental health counselling, physiotherapy and much more. The Centre had its soft launch on May 8. Sampson explained that that the fees for full-time students to use the Centre are included in their tuition.

“I love the Glutes, Guts, Guns class. It's very difficult but very rewarding,” Sampson said. “I also love the rock wall. Since the rock wall opened I decided to get a pair of rock climbing shoes and I've been up and down it so many times. It's more than just a physical challenge. It's also like a strategy game trying to figure out how to get up it.” In addition, REDTALKS special guest, Silken Laumann, congratulated the College on its new wellness Centre. Laumann is a four-time Olympic rower and 1992 bronze medal winner as well as a best-selling author. Laumann spoke at the REDTALKS event about her story of persevering against the odds and for people to reach for their dreams. Dawson Briscoe, a general arts student says he is looking forward to using the Centre more in the future. “I really enjoy all the space the facility has. There is always plenty of room to do stretches and floor exercises,” Briscoe said. Fanshawe president, Peter Devlin and the Chair of the Board (Board of Directors), Lori Higgs, were also present at the event and shared some positive remarks of the grand opening.

The Centre also hosted tours to the public the morning of its grand opening. The official hours for the Centre are Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 pm.  Click on the thumbnails below to view a larger version of each image.
Official grand opening for Fanshawe's new Student Wellness Centre  photos
Official grand opening for Fanshawe's new Student Wellness Centre  photos