Two people talking outside the Rec Center.
My name is Nuno and I am an international student from the Netherlands. I have been working at Portland State Campus Rec for about four years now in various roles, and am currently the Marketing & Communications Student Coordinator. Campus Rec has always been my home away from home, even over the past year with remote work and classes.
For those who don’t know, the Rec Center is centrally located at the Urban Plaza on the Portland State University campus. More than the average modern gym, the facility includes a pool and spa, three courts, a climbing wall, fitness classes, clubs and intramurals, and an indoor track. On top of all of that, the Outdoor Program offers guided outdoor trips and rents gear at affordable prices.
On my first day in the U.S. I started training to work as a Member Services Associate at Campus Rec. Working on campus as an international student enabled me to make friends, practice speaking English, and gain work experience. The Rec Center has not only been my workplace, but it has also been a place for me to go work out with my friends, hang out in the lounge, or enjoy the view from the rooftop terrace.
As a member of the International Cultural Service Program (ICSP) at Portland State, I represent my home country by participating in panel presentations and interviews across the Portland State campus and the broader Portland community. ICSP members share first-hand knowledge and experience in order to provide others with an international perspective and an appreciation for cultural differences. Curious about how international students view Campus Rec, I interviewed two of my fellow ICSP members to find out what they enjoy most about Campus Rec, and how they recreate and practice wellbeing in their home countries.
Group X Fitness Classes & Sports Games
Junzuo Ren is an international student from China and is currently a senior enrolled in the Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) master’s program at Portland State. In 2018 she moved to Portland to study in the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) before enrolling in the ELP program. Junzuo is currently living back home in China, and is taking online classes at PSU from her home country.
After starting at PSU, Junzuo was very excited to start working out at the Rec Center, as universities back home do not typically offer fitness and recreation facilities. Back home, she used to play table tennis or badminton, both of which are offered through Campus Rec. Before the temporary closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, Junzuo spent a lot of time at the Rec Center. She especially enjoyed taking Zumba and other Group X fitness classes with her friends and watching sports games in the lounge area. Junzuo really likes how the Rec Center is conveniently located in the heart of the PSU campus, which makes it easy to go to a fitness class between or after classes. Not only is Campus Rec great for keeping up with your physical wellbeing, but it is also a great place to build community and focus on social wellbeing.
Basketball with Friends at the Rec Center
Fara Mendy is an international student from Senegal. A senior pursuing a degree in public relations, Fara has been in the U.S. for six years now and is graduating from PSU this term. In his home country of Senegal, sport facilities are usually separate from schools and are located outdoors. To focus on wellbeing back home, Fara would play basketball, go to the beach, and participate in other outdoor activities.
During his time at PSU, Fara has loved going to the Rec Center, and has been a regular visitor for a couple of years now. He recently started working out again when the Rec Center reopened after the COVID-19 closures, and has been visiting the facility about three times a week. He highly values his physical and emotional wellbeing, which is one of the reasons why he works out and plays sports at the Rec Center. He explains that, especially now that he is getting older, he focuses more on maintaining his physical wellbeing.
Before the pandemic, one of Fara’s favorite things to do at the Rec Center was play basketball after work with his friends. Due to COVID-19 safety precautions, Campus Rec is currently offering limited individual drop-in sports on the gymnasium courts. Fara looks forward to being able to enjoy time with his friends on the Rec Center courts again in the future.