Courtney Van Haaften | Assistant Sports Editor

This year Buena Vista University (BVU) hired a new Director of Recreation Services, Ellen Schiltz, who is responsible for leadership, planning, and evaluating a comprehensive recreation program for the campus community.

At BVU, Recreation Services include intramurals, outdoor adventure, and group exercise. There are various activities available for students throughout the year. Intramurals consist of many different sports including football, volleyball, basketball, broomball, and battleships. There are also trips available for students to many different destinations. Along with all this, there is recreational equipment available free of charge year round for all students.

When Schiltz took the position, she decided to make a few changes to the program, starting with the name.

“It’s important that the students and community know that we are more than just intramurals or outdoor recreation, we are the one stop shop for all recreation services and programs,” Schiltz said.

Another change is the use of social media for BVU Recreation Services. They now have a Twitter and Facebook account. These accounts are used to communicate to students about upcoming activities, forfeits in intramurals, and schedules of events. They are also working on renovating the Recreation House, group exercise classes, and online registration for events.

Many students like the convenience of having information posted on social media sites.

“I really like how Rec Services uses Facebook and Twitter. It’s nice to have them for information, updates, and to see pictures,” sophomore Chelsea Gubbels said.

Schlitz commented that her favorite part of her job was seeing the impact the program has on the students.

“My favorite part is having such a large impact on the students outside of the classroom. Thirty-seven percent of BVU students have participated in at least one recreation program, and at least one third of those students have returned to participate in another program already this semester,” Schiltz said.

Recreation Services is meant to be useful for everyone and to get everyone involved in some sort of activity.

“The goal is to reach a diverse population, to include everyone, and to have fun,” Schiltz said.

For more information, visit the Rec Services website, follow them on Twitter (@BVURecServices), and like them on Facebook (Buena Vista University Recreation Services).

Photos by Aaron Burns