Athletic center dedication spotlights fitness experts
Leading experts in the fields of aerobics, psychology, and kinesiology will speak at Kenyon on April 20 as part of the dedication ceremony for the new athletic center. One of the panelists, Kenneth H. Cooper, who is often called the "father of aerobics," will give the dedication's keynote address.The experts will share their insights in a symposium titled "The Dimensions of Human Performance/Talent vs. Training: Can the Capacity to Perform Be Changed?" The symposium will be held in the Cable Lobby (second floor) of the Kenyon Athletic Center, starting at 11:10 a.m. on Thursday, April 20.
In addition to Cooper, the panelists will include former Kenyon swimmer Christian D. Brose '02, chief speechwriter for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; former Kenyon swimmer Jennifer E. Carter '93, director of sports psychology at Ohio State University; Vern Gambetta, director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems; Richard D. Ginsburg '89, clinical instructor in psychology in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Sports Psychology Program; former Kenyon swimmer Craig B. Hummer '87, freelance sports journalist; Joel M. Stager, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University; James A. Steen, the College's head men's and women's swimming coach; and Timothy B. Shutt, professor of humane studies at Kenyon.
The event will kick off three days of activities including panel discussions, tours of the facility, and a sports film festival. In addition, Kenyon will open the doors of the facility to recreational athletes and exercisers with a variety of tournaments, events, and classes.
The three-day gathering, titled "A Celebration of the Kenyon Athletic Center," will include a formal dedication at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 21, in the Robert J. Tomsich Arena. The new center, which opened its doors in late January, is a 263,000-square-foot structure composed of soaring glass walls and light-filled spaces. The building was designed by architect Graham Gund, a 1963 graduate of Kenyon, and his firm, the Gund Partnership.
In addition to his appearance in the symposium, Kenneth Cooper will present a keynote address titled "The Role of a Fitness Facility in Improving Community Health" on Thursday, April 20, at 8:00 p.m. in the Robert J. Tomsich Arena. When Cooper's first book, Aerobics , was published in 1968, people were motivated by his preventive medicine research and persuasive public appearances. Since then, Cooper has advocated reorienting the field of medicine away from disease treatment and towards disease prevention through aerobic exercise.
A series of panel discussions about athletics, featuring Kenyon faculty, graduates, and community members, will take place on Thursday, April 20, between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. There will be four panels: "Athletics and Life Lessons," "Why Does Only Baseball Have a Literature?" "Design and Construction of the Kenyon Athletic Center," and "Sport, Mind, and Society." The panels will be held in various locations in the Kenyon Athletic Center.