By Brandon Davis

A common dilemma many students face when beginning their college careers out of high school is figuring out how to stay in shape while adjusting to a new schedule.

The Student Activities Center’s fitness center offers a variety of different activities to help keep students in shape, including an accessible weight room stocked with treadmills, free and machine weight systems and other cardiovascular equipment.

“In the Louisville Metropolitan area, this [SAC] is one of the best facilities around,” Ken Carey, gym employee, said. “The vast array of equipment and stuff that this facility has here along with the facilities at the Crawford and Humana, it can’t be beat.”

The SAC is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and is free with an active student ID.

The SAC fitness center also provides five racquetball courts, two squash courts and complete locker room facilities along with four multi-purpose gym floors which are used for basketball, volleyball and badminton.

“It offers pretty much everything you want,” Greg Welsh, junior nursing major, said. “They have a gym, basketball courts, racquetball and they’re always open when you need them to be so it’s pretty convenient.”

For those looking to keep themselves occupied in some competitive form or just looking for a way to blow off some steam without all the sweat, the Cardinal Corner might be the answer. Also located in the SAC, the Cardinal Corner provides an assortment of free games for students to compete in, including pool, ping-pong, air hockey and foosball.

The Ralph Wright Natatorium, located on the corner of Warnock Ave. and Floyd St., is one for the newest facilities on campus and allows students a chance to swim in an Olympic-size pool. The Natatorium is also home to the U of L’s men’s and women’s swim teams and is complete with an eight-lane, 50 meter competition pool with depth ranging from four feet, six inches to 18 feet.

“It’s really a great facility,” Matt Blanford, graduate student and lifeguard, said. “It’s brand new and I think students are surprised when they find out that it’s even here and they’re allowed to use it for free.”

The Natatorium is open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and is also open at various times on weekends.

The Humana Gym is another facility available for students looking to work out. Located on Bradley Ave. and Eastern Pkwy., the Humana Gym offers complete weight and cardiovascular rooms, dry heat saunas and gym floors are available when not used for club practices. Free for students, the Humana Gym is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

U of L also offers a variety of different sports clubs and intramural league sports which provide students looking for a more structured plan to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, a solid solution while satisfying their competitive juices.

With clubs like badminton, fencing, gymnastics and many others, students are given the opportunity to compete while receiving a chance to learn a new sport or continuing to play a familiar one. There are also many different intramural league sports students can play including football, basketball, and soccer.

Rice’s 9 ‘succeeds on all levels’

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

Since its November release, Damien Rice's latest album has been met with mixed reviews from critics. Some listeners may have found the songs to have metaphors so lonely they only give the impression of sincerity. No matter how heartfelt the guitar or piano in the background sounds, they find the lyrics lack substance.

Cardinals prep for ‘Nova

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

This week, after a 72-59 win over No. 18 University of Pittsburgh, the University of Louisville women's basketball team takes on unranked Villanova this evening at the Pavilion in Philadelphia, PA. Villanova comes into the game with a losing record in the Big East, 1-6.

Online gambling tempts college students

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

Whether it is celebrities trying to win for a charity or professionals playing, it is entertaining the masses. College students are now trying to get a piece of the quick cash and they can through online poker and gambling Web sites. All it takes to gamble online is access to a credit card and a computer.

West campus park slated for improvements

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

The University of Louisville is hoping to transform Stansbury Park, the public park along Third Street, into a recreational area that will better serve both the community and U of L students. Major proposals to the existing park include adding a campus eatery, an outdoor amphitheater and renovating sports facilities.

Student runs oilfield in hometown

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

On a campus with 20,000 plus students, faculty, employees and guests, there are no two people alike. Each and every person has things about them that makes them their own person. Most don't have a clue what the name is of the person sitting beside them in class, or passing them on campus, what they do for fun, where they are from or where they are going.

Bearcats up next for Pitino, Cards

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

The University of Louisville men's basketball is keeping their winning streak alive, winning 10 out of the last 12 games, and now Coach Pitino and the Cards are sitting in second place (5-2) in the Big East and 15-6 overall. "We are hot right now so everyone loves us," said sophomore Terrence Williams.

U of L shoots past Xavier in home opener

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

It had been two years since the men's ice hockey team of the University of Louisville had played a home game. One month had passed since the Cardinals had even taken to the ice for a game. But with a rowdy red and white fan base, the Cardinals put on an offensive show, defeating Xavier University 8-6 on Jan.

Stuart Grossman, ultimate fan

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

In spite of having the fourth highest average attendance per game in the nation in 2006, University of Louisville fans are often ridiculed for their lack of support and the comfort that they find in their expensive seats that keeps them from standing up. Stuart Grossman, equipped with his referee jersey, considers himself a throwback to how fans used to be.

Novel tells story of separation

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

Award-winning writer Kim Edwards' "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" is a brilliantly crafted family drama that explores every mother's silent fear: what would happen if you lost your child and she grew up without you? The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a page turner set in nearby Lexington, Ky.

iPod Film Festival returns for second year

2007-01-29T00:00:00-05:00January 29th, 2007|Uncategorized|

The Flux has announced the 2007 edition of its iPod Film Festival, which debuted last year with entries from 11 countries. Thanks to sponsorship from Small Dog Electronics, the festival is free to enter this year, with an iPod awarded to the winner in each category and a Mac mini computer given to the Best of Fest recipient.

Go to Top