Photo Courtesy of Elizabethtown College
Whitney Jones became the Director of Elizabethtown College’s Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being Monday, Jan. 7.
Jones grew up in Emporium, Pennsylvania, a rural town popular among fishermen and hunters. Its nickname is “the land of endless mountains.”
As a child, Jones enjoyed attending Pittsburgh Pirates’ baseball games. She later played softball, and baseball remains her favorite sport.
Jones received her bachelor’s degree in sports administration from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, a school not unlike Etown. She decided to continue her education and pursued a master’s degree in sports studies. Jones first managed a fitness center during this time. She loved the experience.
After graduating, Jones served as the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation and Intramurals at the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina. She later served as the Competitive and Recreational Sports Coordinator, as well as the Assistant Director of Campus Fitness, at the University of Pittsburgh.
Before visiting Etown for an interview, Jones had no connection to the campus. But its welcoming community left an impression on her, as it does on many prospective students.
“Coming from Pittsburgh, I was shocked to see students holding the door open for one another,” Jones said.
Jones believes community contributes to wellness. She noted the similar importance of mental health and nutritional balance.
“Physical health is just one aspect of total wellness,” she said.
Likewise, Jones stresses holistic wellness, as well as the individualized nature of each student’s “wellness journey.” These beliefs fuel her enthusiasm for the Bowers Center.
The Bowers Center will supplement Etown’s current athletic facility, Thompson Gymnasium. The gymnasium was originally designed to support ten varsity teams and approximately 200 athletes. Today, more than 420 athletes and over 20 teams compete for space, time and resources in the almost 50-year-old facility.
Jones describes the Bowers Center as a “one-stop-shop.” Its multipurpose amenities include a fitness center, three recreation courts, an indoor track, multiple locker rooms, a wellness center and more. Facilities such as the meditation and relaxation room seek to integrate education and recreation.
The Bowers Center will also provide space and programming to address pressing national public health issues such as obesity, substance abuse, stress and chronic depression among college students.
From the tennis courts to the café, the Bowers Center offers a variety of opportunities for students, faculty and staff to expand their horizons or focus their current strengths and interests. Jones excitedly awaits the demonstration kitchen, which will serve as a lunchroom, classroom and club resource. She also envisions students lounging by the planned fireside.
In today’s non-stop world, Jones enjoys face-to-face interaction. She believes smartphones and wearable fitness devices have improved motivation, accountability and communication. However, they are no substitute for human interaction.
Meanwhile, students balance assignments, work and other extracurricular commitments. Some feel that their schedules inhibit healthy decision making. Jones offers two words of advice: “plan ahead.”
Jones is an avid meal-prepper. She recommends reserving a few hours each Sunday evening to prepare meals.
The practice offers a constructive break from studying and saves time during the week, when nutritionally-balanced dinners can be reheated in less than a minute.
Jones lastly encourages members of the campus community to “get [their] steps in.” She envisions a campus on which no one will say he or she doesn’t want to walk from place to place.
“I’m looking forward to enhancing the health and wellness programming at the new Bowers Center for Elizabethtown College to build well-rounded students, staff and faculty,” Jones said.
