Johnson Student Center

            When I first came to the University of Kentucky I paid no attention to the building that is surrounded by a hospital on one side and the dorm towers on another. So if you are not from around here it would be easy to make this mistake as well. It was not until I got curious as to what it was when I was making the long trips back and forth from the Common Wealth Stadium and our dorm that I began to wonder what it was. What could the Johnson Center be if it is so far away from all the other class rooms? Thankfully this is not a place to study, but rather a place of recreation.

From the outside the Johnson center looks as if it could be just another building here in Lexington. However, from the back one can see what attracts so many students to this one place. The first thing that catches your eye is the field. This huge rectangular bed of grass is perfect for almost any kind of activity. First year students understand what makes this field so great since many of the “K Week” events are held on it. During this week thousands of freshmen gathered here to meet new people, and more importantly a record breaking water balloon fight. Even now in winter when the grass has browned and weather is almost unbearable, students continue to kick around a ball and enjoy other activities. The basketball courts are another story. The outside of the J.C. offers even more on the outside with basketball and tennis courts. If you are still unsure as to what is inside the building, just look up to the second floor through the row of enormous floor to ceiling windows. Here on the second level of the building one will see row after row of treadmills, bikes, and other various elliptical machines. Most of which will be occupied by students who are trying to reach mile long journeys.

                Just looking is not enough, being inside gives the real experience. Walking into the lobby is easy at night, when during the day a small line of people stand waiting to slide their cards. Once inside the sounds seem to surround you. Bouncing off the walls in every direction it can almost seem endless. Then listening to one particular noise at a time then begins to tell its own story. The first recognizable sound comes directly to the left off the lobby, as sneakers squeak from groups of people race up and down the wooden floor.  The second noise to be noticed is the loud thud as people run overhead. Shortly after determining what the thud where the thud is coming from there are loud crashes as metal hits metal. Straight ahead from the entrance, the crash comes as people lift weights and then drop them back to the floor.

                As people check in at the front desk they already have an idea of which of these areas they will occupy during their time at the Johnson center. While talking to Ian and his friends I learned they came to the center to play basketball with other kids, and since it is too cold outside they come inside. Their idea was shared with many others as games were already started on each of the four courts. As Ian waited for an open spot I could see general behaviors that they all seemed to share. Along the walls and out of the way were lines of different hoodies and sweat pants that had been taken off as new people began to play. Before someone else joined, they would stop playing and introduce themselves and explain who was on each team. It was almost necessary to do so since there was no way of telling each apart. Each team had five to six guys, all of whom were wearing regular t-shirts and shorts.  They would begin to play only communicating for the ball with their hands. Then as grew more comfortable they would call out to one another by name and helping when they could. Each member of the team would match up with someone on the other team based on their height and skill. While the taller guys waited for a pass under the basket, the shorter kids would shoot when open around the painted arch. This was repeated multiple times as people left and more people came in. If a person was not already on a team they would stand off to the side waiting for the opportunity to jump in. In the mean time they gathered one of the loose balls scattered on floor and took the opportunity to shoot while the teams were at the opposite end of the court.

                Upstairs was much different from the basketball courts where the majority of the people were talking to one another. Here machines or treadmills were set apart from one another with one person using it. Since only one person could use the machine at a time, and they were left alone by everyone else as they tried to find their own. Most of them found ways to occupy their time alone. As they ran over half had headphones in listening to music. One of the girls had even found a way to read on book as she sat on the seat of one of the bicycles. Unlike the other places in the J.C. once they started they typically stayed in that one spot for almost an hour. There was no communication between the people but they too had similarities. The majority of the people on the second floor were girls, who chose to run on one of the many treadmills or stationary bikes. They also chose to wear t-shirts like the guys who were playing basketball. However, instead of shorts that reached the knee they seemed to prefer yoga pants or shorts that only reached mid-thigh. I finally asked a girl named Taylor why she liked to come to the J.C. She told me she likes to get away from all the studying and what better way to forget about it and that running gets her mind off of it.

                The final area that caught my attention was the one where the weights were being used. Like the upstairs each work bench or seat was slightly separated from one another. The difference here was that it contained racks that were used to hold numerous sized weights. Also, along the wall that separated it from the basketball courts are mirrors that are bigger than the people around them. Like the basketball court this area was mostly guys. The atmosphere that surrounded them was different than that of the courts. Instead of the competitive mood the players had, there was an intense feeling surrounding the weights. Although a lot of the guys were about the same height as me, I could not help but feel so much smaller.

The great thing is that the J.C. is open for anyone, allowing a wide range of people to come in most of which are students, but others enjoy the center as well. The first time I went to the Johnson Center there was an elderly man, at least in his fifties doing sit-ups with a forty-five pound weight. What really set him apart from everyone else was what he was wearing. He looked as if he could be another professor who had just gotten done with a lecture. He was wearing dress pants, with a nice shirt tucked in at his waist just without a tie. The only thing he wore that others around him had on were his sneakers. Although no one is restricted to the J.C., it is funny to see how each area can be generalized to a certain group of people. On the basketball courts, there are tall skinny guys fighting to get a rebound as the ball bounces off the backboard. Then in the area containing free weights, there are more guys but different from the ones on the basketball courts. These guys are massive, flexing their muscles as they compete with one another to see who can lift the most weight. Finally on the second floor groups of girls are scattered using the different weight machines and treadmills.

The Johnson Center is a place for anyone. Whether you are looking to have fun, need a minute away from the books, or just looking to find new people that enjoy some of the thing you do. If you are thinking you do not have the time to go just know that people find time before their first class, and typically does not close until late at night.