CHANCELLOR AND MRS. BAKER cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the Wayne and Darlene Baker Center. (below)
A FOCAL POINT for the fitness facility will be enhanced training options for York College athletics in the Holthus Field House. (left)
Fitness Center Dedicated
Wayne and Darlene Baker honored at ribbon cutting
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s the spring semester came to a close, Dr. Wayne and Darlene Baker cut the ceremonial ribbon at the dedication of the college’s fitness center, officially welcoming the newest athletic facility to the campus. York College trustees, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, as well as students, faculty, and staff were on hand for the ceremony. President Steve Eckman had high praise for his predecessor in his introductory remarks. “You see evidence of Wayne’s leadership and Darlene’s love for this place,” Eckman said. “The Mackey Center, the Prayer Chapel, Kiplinger Apartments, Gibbs Residence Hall, and the Holthus Field House were all accomplished on his watch”. “Wayne is loved by many in York”, Eckman continued. “He has been the face of York College in this community.” The Wayne and Darlene Baker Center became fully operational earlier this spring and boasts a full range of strength exercise and circuit training equipment for student use. The 3,000 square foot training center will be used by most of the college’s varsity sports teams as well as the student body in general. The fitness center is connected to the Holthus Field House, a 35,000 sq. foot sports practice facility. Construction was made possible by a gift from Dr. and Mrs. Richard Edwards, Jr. of Edmond, Oklahoma. Their contribution was given specifically to honor the Bakers for their dedication to York College. Several other friends of the college joined
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the Edwards, including RoundUp 2010 attendees, with gifts honoring the Bakers. Dr. Baker has served as chancellor for York College since 2009, following 13 years as president. Athletic Director Jared Stark spoke of having to lift weights in three separate locations when he was a York College student-athlete and the value of a permanent facility. “Having this facility makes us better,” Stark said. “What God is still doing for York College ... sometimes it just kind of blows my mind.” In his response, Baker said York College “is not the center of everyone’s universe, but it is the center of ours.” “Athletics at the college”, he said, “teach essential values like discipline, hard work and staying with it. Those things happen right here. There will be lots of sweat, lots of grit, lots of dedication in these spaces.” The Holthus Field House and the Wayne and Darlene Baker Center are located at the corner of 12th Street and Maine Avenue, about four blocks east of the main campus and the Freeman Center. York College athletics competes in ten sports through the NAIA. The college is a founding member of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference. lll Excerpts by Steve Moseley Managing Editor, York News-Times