Upon transferring to California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) in 2017, Branden Dunn started climbing The Rock, the 34-foot-tall climbing tower at the Student Recreation Center (SRC).
By the end of Dunn’s first semester, he found himself a student employee of campus rec as a Rock assistant. It was a job that would impact him for years to come. “Campus recreation at CSUB gave me a sense of belonging as a student, and it completely shaped the trajectory of my career,” said Dunn, the current coordinator for Outdoor Adventures and Experiential Education at CSUB. “I have lived through so many adventures and met so many amazing people I never would have if I hadn’t stepped through the door of the SRC.”
Today, that sense of belonging is something many rec centers across the nation are striving for, and CSUB is no different. However, like every other university, CSUB has challenges to overcome in order to achieve this.
For starters, CSUB is a large commuter school — with only about 500 of the 9,200 students living on campus. Plus, 65% are first-generation students. And when COVID-19 hit, the in-person orientation SRC tours were wiped away. The campus rec team faced the obstacle of informing students about the facility, programs and services offered.
“There are some additional challenges to getting the students aware of all these opportunities and comfortable to walk through our doors,” said Mary O’Mahoney, the director of the SRC. “We really put out there that everyone is welcome and belongs here.”
Welcome to The Rock
As O’Mahoney shared, belonging doesn’t just happen. It takes intentionality and hard work. The Rock, and the example of Dunn, is one such place in the SRC where the campus community can find a space to belong.
Take Dunn for example. After he became a Rock assistant, his passion for climbing and its community skyrocketed overtime. Within a year, he was promoted to Student Manager of Trips and Bike Share. “This was my first time in a real leadership role, and the coordinator at the time, Marshall McArthur, took on the role of friend and mentor to develop my leadership skills while constantly teaching me more about outdoor recreation,” said Dunn.
Student managers at CSUB are similar to graduate assistantships at other schools. They are leadership positions where students take ownership of their program areas. Thus, Dunn was being cultivated into a campus rec leader through his role. It was a time of employment that would affect his career path forever, because while pursuing his master’s at CSUB, Dunn realized outdoor recreation and education was what he wanted to pursue.
Then McArthur transitioned to a new position closer to family in North Carolina. “I was sad to see my dear friend and mentor leave, but I was excited because he had prepared me to step into the role of coordinator,” shared Dunn.
EXTRA CREDIT: A few rec professionals discuss the keys to running an amazing climbing program.
Since taking on that role, Dunn and his team have implemented creative and abundant programming that utilizes every inch of The Rock wall by EP Climbing USA. Some of those programming highlights include Women Rock community learning events, partnerships for climbing competitions through the Veterans Success Center, belay/lead climbing clinics and the annual Zombie Climb.
The last event takes place during the week of Halloween. Rock wall assistants dress up as zombies, and participants race them to the top of the tower. Dunn explained the zombie starts laying “dead” on the floor and gives the participant a five-second head start to climb before they raise up from the dead, complete with zombie noises. If the zombie manages to pull the flag off of the climber before the participant rings the bell at the top of the tower, that means they are now a zombie. If the climber rings the bell first, it means they survived the zombie apocalypse and win a prize.
Creative programming like the above is beneficial to the overall student experience shared Dunn. “If they see something fun or silly at the SRC, it may open the door to trying something they have been intimated to do,” he said.
All in all, the Zombie Climb is just one way in which the SRC has been impacted because Dunn found a place where he belonged at CSUB. “[Branden] has just been awesome,” said O’Mahoney. “He came here and didn’t know much about rock climbing, and so he got brought into the fold there. Now he’s our best ambassador for it.”
Building Welcoming Spaces at CSUB
Beyond the creative programming at The Rock, O’Mahoney said belonging has been created by giving space for students to come and simply hang out. There are bean bag chairs, a giant Connect 4 game and tables around The Rock.
However, initially they didn’t allow food and drinks in the facility. Realizing commuting students didn’t really have places to hang out and eat their meals, O’Mahoney shared they reevaluated that policy. “We’ve got all these tables,” she recalled. “Would it kill us to just allow people to have their lunches and dinners here?”
So, the policy shifted and food was allowed in that part of the facility. But they didn’t stop there. Having hosted a mass vaccination center during COVID-19, chairs left over from it were put to use, creating more space for students to hang out.
In addition, O’Mahoney shared they installed more outlets which led to an interesting development. “The SRC has become a de-facto academic building due to the number of students attending classes via their computers,” she said.
But it all lends itself to a sense of belonging. In their annual survey, O’Mahoney asks if the SRC played some part in the student’s decision to come to or stay at CSUB. About 48% of respondents in the 2023 survey said yes.
The survey also revealed 80% of students feel using the rec facilities has an impact on their general feeling of well-being. This goes hand in hand with CSUB’s new Wellness Suite.
The CSUB Wellness Suite
Mid-COVID-19 closure, the idea for the suite was born. The goal is to provide students a relaxation space within the sometimes hectic, loud environment of the SRC. Currently, they are transforming a room in the facility to provide this offering.
“The Wellness Suite will serve as a permanent ‘Zen zone’ for our participants,” said Leah Bank, the senior coordinator of Fitness and Wellness. “Since many of our students commute to campus and spend time in-between classes hanging out and doing homework, I see this space as a hub for educating students about tools to destress that they can use both on campus and at home.”
Programs and offerings within the Wellness Suite will include nap pods and Human Touch massage chairs available to book, open arts and crafts hours, and special events in the meditation corner.
EXTRA CREDIT: Leaders from Purdue University and Western Michigan University detail their school’s strategies to improve mental health on campus.
Outside of the new Wellness Suite’s four walls, Bank has brought a plethora of wellness efforts to the campus. For example, Wellness Walks consist of a guided tour that stops at a variety of campus locations to receive goodies and learn information about the topic chosen for the walk. Two previous themes include campus art sculptures and health snacks. They involved partnerships with the Art Department, Campus Dining and the Edible Garden.
Those partnerships across campus are part of Bank’s top advice for other professionals looking to do something similar. “Grow your network,” she said. “I am well-versed in many topics, but of course, I don’t know it all. It’s humbling when I’m able to consult with someone else within my network, whether locally or virtually, and/or refer to another resource for information.”
In addition, Bank noted it’s essential to keep tabs on your own well-being. Oftentimes, advocating for the well-being of others can be fatiguing. So, it’s key to stay mindful of your own mental state. “Ask how much energy you have to give to others, and how much you need to keep to maintain your own equilibrium,” she said.
Everyone Belongs at the SRC
Since arriving at CSUB in 2014, O’Mahoney has witnessed the evolution of belonging on campus. Whether it’s The Rock’s offerings and programs, to the variety of collaborations across campus and in the local community, or the Wellness Suite, each addition has served students in a new capacity. Plus, O’Mahoney said the overall campus has more of a community feel to it. Students are sticking around and increasing their involvement.
All in all, the logo and branding of the SRC speaks to that mission — “It’s Your Rec Center.” The facility is truly a main hub on campus. Students come to work out, relax, socialize and rest. They know everyone is welcome and belongs. This is a fact O’Mahoney and the team at CSUB plan to keep pouring into now and every day hereafter.
“One of our main focuses is everyone belongs here. Everyone is welcome here,” said O’Mahoney. “Whatever they need, we want to be there for them.”
