Nathaniel Clark – A&E Editor

nuc5002@psu.edu

After a soft launch in February, Behrend’s newly-renovated Erie Hall finally underwent its Grand Opening and is officially open for all in the Penn State community. As a top-grade athletic facility, as well as the new-and-improved location for Personal Counseling, Erie Hall has so much to offer students who take the time to stop in. 

On Tuesday, March 28, Penn State Behrend students, professors, and administrators gathered at the new Erie Hall to celebrate its official opening. While the building has been up and running since mid-February to get students access as soon as possible, there were a plethora of elements that still needed to be installed in the facility before it was prepared for the Grand Opening. These elements included a variety of signage along with the proper connection of Peloton bikes. The new Erie Hall also had a custom Nittany Lion statue designed to be unveiled in the lobby as a feature piece for the building. 

The main piece of signage recently installed in Erie Hall is the plaque located in the building’s lobby, which recognizes the old building’s previous history. In the lobby of Erie Hall you can find some of the original gym floor from the first Erie Hall, which is the baking for the plaque as well as the new lion statue. 

Standing along with the building’s name is a fantastic model of the Nittany Lion statue, made specifically for Behrend’s campus. Crafted out of metal, the lion shines brightly throughout the whole room, enticing individuals to come look. This piece is unique to the Behrend campus and is one of a kind. 

While people first admire the craftsmanship of the details included in the building, they can also learn about Erie Hall’s history. Located on the same plaque in the lobby is a short biography of Erie Hall which discusses both iterations of the building. The biography is also used to thank the Student Facility Fee for the $10.8 million grant which was used to pay for the construction of the new hall. 

At the opening, attendants were given stress balls in the shape of dumbbells. Emblazoned on these souvenirs was “Erie Hall Dedication” along with “March 28, 2023,” the date of the official opening.

Now that Erie Hall is officially open, the facility will be working at full capacity to support its message of mental and physical well-being. The building’s new hours run from Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 11 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., and Sunday 12 p.m. – 11 p.m. 

Along with longer hours, various fitness courses are now available for any member of the Behrend community to attend. Said courses are offered throughout the week and focus on a variety of different topics. 

There are high-intensity classes such as the “Empower Hour” with Bri or the “Total Body Bootcamp” with Kim. These courses are typically offered on Mondays in the morning. Certain other classes Like “Step” with Jim, “Spin” with Kim, and “T’ai Chi” with Rick are also offered throughout the week. 

Outside of the specific fitness courses mentioned above, Erie Hall does also offer courses that work on your body and mind. There are various yoga and pilates courses spaced throughout the week, that are either taught by either Darian or Maria. 

There are also meditation courses every Monday. These are taught with Nicole Lowry and are sponsored by Behrend’s Personal Counseling office, which recently relocated into Erie Hall. This comes as a part of Behrend’s initiative to focus on combining physical and mental health, a goal Erie Hall as a whole embodies incredibly well. Personal Counseling also hosts various other events, such as drumming circles and art break sessions. There are also sunlight rooms and massage chairs in the new office students can stop in to take advantage of. 

Erie Hall also offers a variety of drop-in hours for various sports in their massive gymnasium. Offered at least twice throughout the week are pickleball, volleyball, and basketball. Also, between the Junker Center and Erie Hall, there is always at least one court open for student’s to use as a free court to play. 

Luckily, Behrend community members will now receive weekly emails consisting of Erie Hall’s schedule, highlighting any new classes starting. Each weekend, students should receive a full schedule for the fitness course being offered in Erie Hall sent to their email. Every fitness course is free for students and is handled on a first-come first-serve basis. 

With one month left of the semester, Erie Hall is now fully-open and ready to assist Behrend students as much as possible. Whether it is for your physical or mental health, Erie Hall is the place to go for on-campus assistance reaching these goals.