New recreation center dedicated

Though students have been working out at the Baierl Recreation Center for nearly two weeks,… Though students have been working out at the Baierl Recreation Center for nearly two weeks, yesterday marked the center’s formal dedication with ribbon cuttings and speeches.

The ceremony featured speeches from Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, Provost James Maher, Student Government Board President Kevin Washo Jr. and recreation center namesake and Pitt alumnus, Bill Baierl.

A few members of the Pitt marching band played “Hail to Pitt” as the ribbon was cut to officially open the recreation center.

The new center, which has been in use since Aug. 26, is already enjoying extreme popularity on campus. In fact, by 3:30 p.m. on the center’s first day, all of the machines in the facility were in use.

Nordenberg opened the ceremony by welcoming the by-invitation-only crowd, mostly made up of members of the Board of Trustees, many of whom were in attendance, University administration, athletic staff and SGB.

He then began listing the accomplishments of Baierl.

“You simply do not achieve what Bill Baierl has achieved without a deep dedication to excellence,” he said.

Maher then expressed his happiness with the recreation center.

“Today we are celebrating five to six years of effort to do 40 years of catch-up in student recreation,” he said. Maher then added his personal thanks to Baierl for his contributions to the General Motors scholarship fund that allowed the provost to attend college. Washo took the opportunity thank Baierl on behalf of the entire student body.

Baierl was born in the Pittsburgh area and has lived here almost his entire life. He graduated from Pitt in 1951 and has made significant monetary contributions to the University, providing funding to purchase new marching band uniforms and renovate the Fitzgerald Field House.

Baierl’s other gifts to Pitt include the Baierl Scholarship Fund in Athletics and the Karl C.H. Oermann Scholarship Fund in Education. The Pitt men’s and women’s basketball practice facilities, called the Baierl Basketball Center, have also been named after Baierl, in recognition of his contributions to the University and his history on the Pitt team.

“Bill has been doing good things for the University for a long time,” Nordenberg said. He added that the monetary amount given by Baierl to the Petersen Events Center is one of the biggest gifts ever given to the University.

Baierl then gave a speech of his own, stating, “I’m very honored to have this named for me.”

He then related a story about teaching physical education classes in the Cathedral of Learning gymnasium in the early 1950s, and stated his approval of the facilities that now bear his name.

“We are taking a giant step forward not just for this generation, but for generations and generations to come,” he said.

The Baierl Student Recreation center occupies a total of 43,000 square feet of space in the Pete. With facilities on two floors, the center features four racquetball courts, two squash courts, an array of Cybex weight machines, a vast selection of free weights and an aerobic area complete with a large number of treadmills, stationary bicycles and stair climbing machines. Soon to open are an aerobics classroom, a martial arts practice room and a health assessment center.

The Baierl center is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Its main entrance is located on the lawn level of the Pete, adjacent to the coffee and juice bar.

Nordenberg has expressed his belief that this recreation center will provide the “foundations of long and healthy lives for tens of thousands of our students.”