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By Madison Mathews
Johnson City Press
MILLIGAN COLLEGE — Since opening its doors to students more than a week ago, the Gilliam Wellness Center, Milligan College’s new student fitness center, has seen a steady flow of traffic as students utilize the center’s various fitness equipment.
Rachel McCulloch, a graduate student in Milligan’s occupational therapy program, has been utilizing the 7,100-square-foot facility every day since it opened.
“It’s beautiful in here. It’s a really, really beautiful facility. They’ve got top of the line equipment. The hoist machines that they have are actually some of the best that you can buy. I was really excited to see that they bought some,” she said.
The second year graduate student said working out on the school’s campus has never been easier.
“I think that this is something that is really great for Milligan. It’s something that they definitely really needed,” she said.
Before the facility was built, students utilized a small workout space in the Steve Lacy Fieldhouse. While she was glad to have an area set aside for working out, McCulloch said the small area in the fieldhouse wasn’t always the easiest place to get in some exercise.
“It was at times frustrating. It would be closed for athletic events, which I understand, and we only had four ellipticals and the bikes would break a lot, so this is like a huge difference. It’s nicer than the gym I pay for at home,” she said.
Although McCulloch will only be able to use the new center until she leaves to do field work at the end of the semester, she was excited for what the center would provide for future students.
“Just being a student we’re always so stressed out. We don’t have time to work out, we don’t have the money to buy all the nice things that would help you be healthier and this is probably the nicest thing you could probably do for that. It gives students a place to workout, to have fun, to socialize and relieve some stress and just be a lot healthier overall,” she said.
Kelly Alexander, a graduate student in Milligan’s master of education program, said the convenience of having various workout equipment under one roof is an added benefit to campus life.
“It’s really great that the donors were able to pull through for both the equipment and the building, cause they’re beautiful facilities,” she said.
The center was constructed using funds donated by the Richard B. Gilliam family of Charlotesville, Va. The center is named in memory of Marvin Gilliam, a 1938 graduate of the college.
All of the equipment in the facility was donated by Milligan alumni Denny and Cindy Mayes of Alcoa.
The center plays an important role in “Forward Ever: The Campaign for Milligan College,” the school’s $25 million capital campaign.
“One of the important priorities in that campaign is what we call the initiative for wellness,” vice president for institutional advancement Dr. Bill Greer said.
The new facility is also the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified buildings in the area, according to Greer.
Chris Webb, coordinator of wellness and recreation for the center, said the center’s traffic will likely increase during the remainder of the spring semester.
“Students are happy that it’s here and happy to be here,” he said.
Milligan will host an official dedication ceremony at the Gilliam Wellness Center April 23 at 11 a.m. The Gilliam family is expected to be in attendance.
Photo by Madison Matthews