Northwestern State University of Louisiana’s Robert W. Wilson Recreation Complex will open its pool facilities on June 3 for students and the Natchitoches community. The recreation complex will not only allow individuals to have fun and relax during the summer, but there are also job opportunities for students at NSU.
The Olympic-size swimming pool is open to students, faculty, staff and the general public. There is also space for recreational and lap swimming with a spacious deck and lounge chairs surrounding the pool.
The pool typically operates in the months of June, July and early August from 2 to 7 p.m.
NSU students can use the facilities for free by presenting their student ID, and there is a pool fee for faculty, staff or non-university individuals. NSU faculty and staff can purchase a $160 individual membership or $200 family membership. The public can purchase a $200 individual membership or $240 family membership.
Swimming lessons are also offered for all levels and ages. Small group lessons are $55 per individual and private lessons are $125 per individual. The pool offers morning water aerobics and deep water aerobics in the evenings with prices and times to be decided.
Paula Ray, assistant director and aquatics director of the recreation complex, believes that not many students are aware of the pool off-campus and the recreation complex’s facilities. “I don’t think a lot of students know about the pool, and, you know, we also have an 18-hole golf course. I don’t think that all the students know about the golf course either. So it’s good to get it out there,” Ray said.
Hailey Rachal, sophomore elementary education major, was unaware that NSU had a community pool off-campus but believes that it could be a great opportunity for students to get fresh air while not being affected by the heat.
“I think that it might be nice for some students in their free time to go take water aerobics class or things of that nature because it involves exercising,” Rachal said. “However, I do not know how many students would partake in it given that it is off-campus and most students I know would prefer going to places on-campus, especially if they don’t have a car.”
Ella Robinson, sophomore business administration major, said she also has never been to the off-campus pool. “I have never heard of the pool,” Robinson said. “I could potentially see myself going to tan.”
Avery Phillips, sophomore secondary education major, was aware of the pool, but just had never been.
“I just never had the time. We were actually talking about going the other day, but it started raining,” Phillips said.
Anderson Davis, sophomore elementary education major, knew of the pool, but didn’t know there was a golf course.
With the hours of operation only spanning across three months, Ray added that she is looking for certified lifeguards or anyone interested in becoming a lifeguard to extend the pool’s hours.
“We do hire in the summer. One of the reasons we have to close so early is because most of our lifeguards are high school students,” Ray said. “So it would be great if we had some NSU students as lifeguards, so we could extend our season a little.”
Zoe Knighton, sophomore communication major, explained that it could be a great job opportunity for students to be lifeguards. “Many students are constantly looking for jobs and with work in Natchitoches being so small, there aren’t as many opportunities for people without a degree,” Knighton said.
Knighton believes that if the pool hours were extended then that would help more students have a guaranteed job for a longer period of time.
“I definitely think they should extend hours. It is normally warm enough to swim by mid-March until the end of September,” Knighton said. “That would help more students to have jobs.”
For anyone interested in checking out the recreation complex’s facilities, please visit here. For any NSU students interested in becoming a lifeguard, contact Ray at (318) 332-0371 or [email protected]. For more information on the classes offered by the pool, contact Melanie Bedgood at (318) 357-5003 or [email protected].
