Keep Rec Hall open to the community

In reference to the letters by Patrick Shannon and John A. Johnson regarding Rec Hall, I must add that many of us have utilized the facility not only for basketball but also for regular racquetball and the walking track. For the past 30 years, we have met friends to play racquetball weekly, always timing the meetings to avoid student classes and other events occurring at Rec Hall.

Many of us are or have been associated with Penn State in some way and acknowledge that community members utilizing the facility are a true bridge across “town to gown.” Realizing that many things changed after the Sandusky business, including security at PSU’s athletic facilities, doesn’t change community members’ desire to utilize Rec Hall in a secure manner. The current method of identifying community members, staff and students appears to satisfy the need for security at the entry door to Rec Hall.

Community members of all ages use Rec Hall. In addition to students, many of us older, retired folks use Rec Hall for exercise, which helps keep us healthy as we age. Considering that there are no other racquetball facilities off campus as there once was, Rec Hall is the destination to play.

We urge the Penn State administration to keep Rec Hall open to the community as we continue to support Penn State.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 9:02 PM with the headline "Keep Rec Hall open to the community."