Category: Campus Resources

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Auburn’s Recreation and Wellness Center

By Ryan Cole

Located at 601 Heisman Drive, Auburn’s Recreation and Wellness Center (RWC) provides championship-level fitness and recreation activities for all University students, faculty, and staff. This space offers opportunities for Auburn’s 30,000+ students to live out the fourth line of The Auburn Creed each and every day: “I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.”

Since its opening in August 2013, the Recreation and Wellness Center has been a highlight of students’ experience here at Auburn. On a normal day, approximately 4,000 students, faculty, and staff visit the RWC. Students receive membership to the RWC at no additional cost during their undergraduate career at Auburn.  Immediately upon entering the facility, guests are welcomed by a friendly staff and state-of-the-art design encompassing 240,000 square feet. The most striking feature you notice when arriving at the RWC is a 1/3-mile indoor track with a corkscrew design (the longest of its kind when constructed) available for walkers and runners alike. This, however, is just the beginning – fitness opportunities abound in every corner of the facility and beyond!

Regardless of the type of recreation and fitness activities you enjoy, there is truly something for everyone. Here are some of the highlights of the RWC:

  • 130 pieces of cardio equipment
  • Weight training areas
  • Group fitness spaces for classes on yoga, cycling, barre, HIIT, Zumba, and many more!
  • Game room featuring foosball and table tennis
  • Personal Training Studio
  • Eight regulation-sized basketball courts
  • Multi-purpose courts for soccer, badminton, and volleyball
  • Racquetball courts
  • A wide array of workout equipment that is replaced every 4 years; each Auburn student will have brand new fitness equipment during their time on the Plains
  • PGA Tour Golf Simulator with 40+ courses from across the world (my favorite stop in the RWC!)
  • Outdoor leisure pool
  • A tiger-paw shaped hot tub

Club and intramural sports are also a great way to participate in competitive activities and meet students from across campus. Team sports include basketball, flag football, soccer, kickball, and volleyball. Golf, tennis, and swimming are offered as individual sports as well. No matter your skill level, all students are welcome to compete in intramural sports leagues! Auburn has over 20 club sports teams that compete against other colleges and schools across the country. Some club sports include ultimate Frisbee, rugby, and lacrosse. RWC Connect is a great way to learn about upcoming group fitness classes and events, as well as to join intramural and club sports teams: https://recreation.auburn.edu/.

Auburn’s brand new SportsPlex , which will re-open this fall, is an exciting new addition to the RWC. This project has been years in the making, and will serve over 10,000 students, faculty, and staff who participate in intramural and club sports each year. Check out a drone tour of the new facility below:

For those with a desire to explore the great outdoors, Auburn Outdoors is the place for you! Whether you are a seasoned adventurer or just beginning your journey, Auburn Outdoors provides ample opportunities for students to explore Auburn and surrounding areas. In the RWC, two 50-ft rock-climbing towers and a bouldering cave lets members develop their climbing skills without ever leaving campus. Auburn Outdoors also provides camping and water equipment rentals at daily, weekend, and weekly rates for students wanting to get gear for an affordable getaway. The Auburn Outdoor Bike Shop in the RWC is a one stop shop for all your bicycle rental and repair needs, as well as free resources to help you prepare for your next biking adventure!

With all these features and so much more, it is easy to see why Men’s Health named the RWC as one of the “Coolest College Recreation Centers in America.” Athletic Business has also recognized the center with its “Facilities of Merit Award.” In 2016 and 2017, Auburn’s RWC was named as the top recreation center in the entire country; back-to-back national championships, if you will. I have no doubt that once you visit the Recreation and Wellness Center for the first time, you will see why this location is one of the best of its kind in the entire country.

Interested in learning more? Make sure to follow the RWC on Instagram (@auburncampusrec) and like their page on Facebook (Auburn University Campus Recreation). Also make sure to check out their “Be Well” blog for more information on fitness, outdoor life, and wellness tips here: https://www.bewellauburn.com/.

While not currently open for in-person tours, the RWC staff has created a great virtual tour to allow you to get a better sense of all that the facility has to offer. They look forward to your visit this fall!

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Auburn University Medical Clinic: Where Health and Wellness Meets the Auburn Family

The Auburn University Medical Clinic’s mission is “to provide high-quality, efficient and convenient health care with compassion, dedication and professionalism.” The facility began serving Auburn University students, faculty, and staff as well as the greater Auburn community in 2005 with an unwavering commitment to achieving its mission. And I should know!

One of my earliest visits to the Medical Clinic occurred during the spring semester of my sophomore year. It was a beautiful afternoon and I was leaving Goodwin Hall with a heavy backpack on my back and my alto saxophone safely in its case in my left hand. In one moment, I was laughing with my friends walking down a hill close to the amphitheater and falling in slow motion in the next. After hearing an unusual *pop*…

… I had managed to land sitting on my left foot. With the help of my friends, I thought I could literally walk the injury off with a night of elevating my leg and icing my ankle with a bag of frozen green peas – college students are nothing if not resourceful. It was immediately evident the next morning, though, that I needed help from a medical professional and the Medical Clinic was the obvious choice. After an X-ray and a consultation with a doctor, my severely sprained ankle was on the mend.

One of my more recent visits was less embarrassing (thankfully, I’ve been more surefooted ever since) but equally memorable. In July 2018, I visited the Medical Clinic for a much more routine reason. At this time, I was nearly two years into being an admissions advisor and it was just days after learning about my dad’s cancer diagnosis. There were more unknowns and questions than certainty and answers in my life on the day of my visit. It was only after a couple weeks of waiting and worrying later than we learned that his cancer was treatable. Needless to say, my visit to the Medical Clinic that day was surrounded by unique circumstances. As I was waiting in my exam room, I was consumed with worry about my dad. When Dr. Owens walked into the room, I could have never predicted the ways in which she was going to help me. We talked about the reason for my visit and the medicine I need to take, and then the conversation somehow shifted to my dad. She listened intently and asked to pray over me. I left the Medical Clinic that day having received a level of care and concern I didn’t even know I needed.

Months later, I had a follow-up visit and, coincidentally, was treated by Dr. Owens again. She asked about my dad quickly after entering the exam room. I was amazed by her memory – how many patients had she seen since my visit? I was grateful to pass along the good news that he was responding well to treatment and even more grateful for her compassion for me and a loved one of mine that she had never even met.

Dr. Owens is undoubtedly extraordinary… along with every other doctor, PA, nurse, phlebotomist, receptionist, and staff member at the Auburn University Medical Clinic. If you’re anything like me, reader, you probably feel like this level of care and concern is a rarity in today’s world. But it’s the rule – not the exception to it – in the Auburn Family, and there is no better embodiment of the Auburn Family than the Auburn University Medical Clinic.

Highlights of Resources

  • The Auburn University Medical Clinic is a fee-for-service facility, meaning that you will only pay for services when you use them.
  • They have contracts with most major insurance companies and can work with students who are uninsured or take advantage of Auburn University’s Student Health Insurance.
  • Making an appointment over the phone or requesting an appointment through your patient portal is easy and the digital kiosks make the check-in process even more efficient.
  • In keeping with the Auburn University Medical Clinic’s mission, there are a variety of services available to help ensure students’ holistic health and wellness. Some of the resources housed within the facility include:
  • While the facility has a variety of services, it does not currently have specialists like dentists or optometrists but will gladly refer you to a local option that will best meet your needs.

Overall, I can confidently speak from a variety of personal experiences that the Auburn University Medical Clinic is an invaluable resource to the Auburn community. Whether you are coming from near or far, rest assured that the folks at the Auburn University Medical Clinic will embody the spirit of the Auburn Family to ensure your health and wellness.