Freshmen Guide to the SCE and RC

The Student Center East (SCE) and the Recreation Center (RC) are places where students at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) can come and spend their time. At the RC, students along with residents of Chicago can work out and use the facility as they like. In the Recreation Center there are basketball courts, activity rooms, a pool, weight lifting area, and other small rooms that can be used for anything. The RC is on the outskirt of the campus in an area where residents of Chicago can reach, as well as the students at UIC. The facility provides basketball courts and tennis courts on the outside. During winter, these sports can be transferred indoor. Inside the RC there is a locker room, which is free of charge where customers can rent out lockers, change, or use the shower. Observing the locker room, I realized that It’s one of the cleanest locker rooms I’ve ever seen. Actually, the entire facility of RC is the cleanest place at UIC.

To enter the RC, customers have to either scan in with an I-Card, or show proof of membership. Once inside, the customer is free to do as he or she wishes. Most customers come to the RC to work out, but there are some students that come to use it as a study place or a place to relax. Customers socialize mainly in the lobby, while the weight lifting area and activity rooms are used for recreational reasons. Students know that they will probably gain some pounds over the years at UIC, and that is why the RC is used to counter weight gaining during college. Its a great way to prevent the “freshman 15”.
Across from from the RC is the SCE, the Student East Center. The SCE is mainly used by students, because it is where the bookstore and the cafeteria are located. Beside the cafeteria, students can buy food from various places in the SCE. On top of the bookstore is a place called the Inner Circle. This is where Sbarros, Wendy’s, Burrito Bar,  and Subway are located. Leading into the Inner Circle, students can drop by the TCF bank to check their saving or checking account. A Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robin is located right next to the TCF. Other facilities such as the Wellness Center and the Resident Halls are located within the SCE. The Resident Halls are attached to the north side of the SCE and only students that are resident of the campus are allowed to enter. Anyone else besides these students must be checked in by a resident.
During the weekends, the SCE is like a deserted town. A lot of students go home to visit their parents, leaving a small amount of students left. Stretching from the resident halls all the way to the inner circle, you will only spot a couple of students passing by. On the weekdays, students roam the SCE lining up at the Inner Circle for lunch or just resting at the lobby. Since UIC is populated with 85% commuters, the SCE is the general location that commuters most likely to be at during their free time.
The SCE is also a place where history is preserved. On the second floor of the SCE you will find the history of UIC in a glass sealed containment. You will also find Scholarship funds and the Navy Pier Hall of Fame. There is the Illinois Room in the SCE where meetings can be organized, such as for Black History Month and other history celebrations.
The Student Center East and the Recreational Center are two places that are mostly used by students and residents of Chicago. The Recreation Center opened in 2006, while the SCE was built during an earlier time. The SCE has maintain its structure, but the inside has changed. New places and stores have opened up, and new sections are being added. The RC hasn’t changed much since 2006. With just a few update with workout machines and facilities inside, the RC has kept its appearance.
These two facilities play a main role for the campus. While one helps guide the students of UIC, the other is providing a healthy living. One of the goals of UIC is to help give back to the communities that UIC was built on, and I think that the RC is one great way to give back. The RC is free of charge to UIC students, but it doesn’t mean that it’s expensive if you’re not a part of UIC. The charge to use the RC is fairly cheap, and it’s better to get a membership. The great thing about having access to the RC is that everything is free once you enter. You can use the pool as long as you like, or shoot around in the basketball court. If you forget a towel, you can rent one out from the shower room for no fee at all. I think these are great ways that the RC help give back to the communities. However, I feel like most residents of the communities do not see the RC as a welcoming place, or they just don’t see anything that can be of great use.
Since the RC was built in 2006, it doesn’t hold a lot of history or the history of UIC. It is fairly new and there is no sense of UIC history within the building. I believe that to keep up with the modern look and demands, the RC had to sacrifice the UIC history to give what most people would want. Nonetheless, I think the RC is one well known place on campus.
The SCE was built at an earlier time than the RC. It is placed on the campus ground where students can reach it. It’s purpose is to provide a place where all students can reach, and to be the heart of UIC. Within the building you can sense the history of UIC even though UIC is a young college. The only down fall of the SCE is that students can only get a sense of UIC on the second floor, but I barely see any students going up there. Instead of retaining its history, the SCE has given in to the demands of the students, which is to provide a place of eatery and support. Most might think that this is a bad thing, but it’s not. The SCE main goal is the provide what the student might want, and they’re are doing that.
I believe that UIC is still too young to have a big collection of history events. Also, it has adapted to the modern look and demands. Even though the SCE and the RC doesn’t retain much history of UIC, they provide all the needs that students and residents of the communities around UIC want. These two facilities are the hearts of UIC and will forever be necessary to the campus.

By: Minh H.