By Janelle Fernandez
At MCSM we have a lot of special interest clubs, and sports teams that one can enjoy. However, some people relax better in a non-school setting, or don’t want to follow the school rules all of the time while having access to a free area where they can enjoy activities with their friends.
If you are one of those people who is looking to find somewhere to hang out with friends besides an after-school school club, while wanting to remain in a controlled setting, the Recreation Center near our school may be the place for you. The Rec Center, [we need a street address and phone number here]. offers multiple free activities and free access to games to people under 18. In order to gain access to the facilities at the Recreation Center, (or more specifically “Thomas Jefferson Recreation Center”, which is the one closest to our school), you have to fill out a form and have a parent sign it. Once you submit this fully filled out form to the employees at the desk, they will take your picture and give you an ID card that will allow you to scan into the Recreation Center.
This card will also allow you to be able to borrow the materials necessary to play games. Some of the the activities that you can participate in include trained sports, such as kicking boxing. You can exercise at their gym, and in the summer you can swim in the pool. The gym has a lot of exercise machines that you can use more freely than the machines in our school weight room. You can also learn how to do certain sports that we don’t offer at our school. You can do all this at no expense to yourself as long as you are under 18. They also have multiple competitive games that you can play with a friend. For example, they have air hockey, and pool.
The main feature that attracts people like me to the Center is being able to be independent and trusted to be responsible for the equipment. Since the Rec Center is so close to our school, it is easily accessible to most students, and it’s safer than most unsupervised activities. The Recreation Center is a safe, welcoming environment, that allows one to practice their independence while also having fun or even learning something new.