The 192,00 square-foot gym USC students know as the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, with its long list of impressive amenities, is not just for show.
USC ranked 26th on The Active Times’ list of “The 50 Fittest Colleges in America,” which judged colleges based on fitness, health and wellness aspects. Important categories of evaluation included athletic facilities and team sports participation, campus eateries and overall quality of student life.
The Active Times called USC “a no-bones-about-it sports school.” Specifically, The Active Times was impressed by the Strom facility at USC, with its 52-foot climbing wall, two pools, large gym space, cardio weightlifting decks and outdoor amenities. In addition to ranking “among the best of the best,” Strom also has student-friendly hours of 6 a.m. to midnight on weekdays.
The university also offers fitness opportunities for students at the Solomon Blatt Physical Educations Center and the tennis courts on Blossom Street.
Kim Dozier, assistant director of campus recreation, did not respond to multiple requests for an interview with The Daily Gamecock on Monday.
Many USC students say fitness is something very important to them and believe that there are many different aspects that go into achieving their fitness goals.
Being fit is about “a healthy lifestyle, not just losing weight or anything, but making it a full circle,” said Erin Washington, a fourth-year retail management student.
Some students use the USC exercise facilities in order to maintain the level of exercise they had before they started college.
“It’s really important for me to stay healthy while I’m in college because I played a lot of sports in high school and I don’t play them here, so it’s good for me to stay in shape,” said Leah Phillips, a first-year exercise science student.
Other students work out in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The food students eat plays a big part of their perspective on staying in shape.
“I think it’s important to stay in shape while you’re in college because the food here isn’t necessarily as good as it would be at home, and it’s important to stay healthy,” said Cole Kynoch, a first-year business student.
Joe Ruotolo, a second-year marketing and management student, said USC is helps students achieve their goals for all-around health, “whether that be cardio and everything, eating right or lifting weights.”
“The gym is definitely probably the best one I’ve ever been to,” Ruotolo said.
Students said they believe that if fitness is a goal that students have, it is possible to achieve it at USC.
“To me, fitness is feeling satisfied with your body image and your physicality and being able to achieve what you want physically,” said Eric Clubb, a first-year nursing student. “I think if it’s something you want to do, there are plenty of opportunities to do that here.”