Photo by Paula Groff

Aug. 27, there was a faux champagne toast for the new Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being in the soccer field. Vice President for Student Life Dr. Celestino Limas hosted the faux champagne toast. Students in attendance were offered free water bottles, popcorn and faux champagne for the toast. 

Other members of faculty and the student body also spoke at the event. On Wolf Field, Limas started the toast by talking about the Bowers Center’s accomplishments, as well as noted its popularity amongst the student body. The Bowers Center’s faculty was also thanked for their commitment to the Bowers Center and for helping to make it run smoothly. President Cecilia McCormick then spoke at the event to provide more information on the Bowers family and their influence on Elizabethtown College. She also encouraged students to take advantage of the facility’s equipment to maintain their physical health.

Senior Student Senate President Holly Francescone represented the College’s student body as a speaker as well. In her speech, Francescone mentioned how students should focus on their mental health and physical health while visiting the Bowers Center; she also provided additional information on the wealth of resources available in the Bowers Center for the student body. Beyond the equipment in the Bowers Center, the Well has also moved its location from the BSC and increased the resources that it provides. Inside the Bowers Center, students can take advantage of the equipment, demonstration kitchen, relaxation room and the Well.

“…With the toast, we wanted to do something to recognize the opening of the Center for use by students,” Limas said in an email interview. “We will have a grand opening in late October, but it seemed right to have something to mark students being able to use the Center from its beginning.”

Limas also said that data shows an increase in physical activity among students using the Bowers Center, something he said he believes the Bowers Center promotes.

“But as well, we want the Bowers Center to be a hive of vibrant activity of all sorts – academic, social, culinary and wellbeing. The spaces in the Center have so much to offer and the programming that is scheduled there is phenomenal,” he said.