Throughout the summer, Washington University had hopes to reopen the Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center for the school year. They had a full plan featuring mask requirements, appointment slots and spaced-out outdoor classes. But as cases failed to lower in the St. Louis area, they had to abandon their plan.

Washington University is using the Charles F. Knight Executive Education & Conference Center to house 30-40 frontline medical personnel as of April 1.

With the opening of the Sumers Recreation Center last year, a whole new athletic world opened to students at Washington University. To put it quite simply, there are a lot of different places you can get a workout or play a sport or two.

When creating Sumers, Washington University took much more into account than just the need to update the space for athletic teams to practice. It created a place accessible to all students—regardless of their athletic status.

The pristine walls embraced the sweet scent of sweat, students wandered with eyes of wonder, and there were plenty of raffle tickets to go around. After over four years of anticipation, the Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center opened its doors to the public Saturday.

After 48 hours of festivities and opening ceremonies, the Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center has finally been christened as the newest building on Washington University’s campus. Tens of millions of dollars, two years of partial closures, a presidential debate and a few patched renovations later, the student body has been rewarded for their patience.

Teams of construction crews have spent the past week constructing podiums, building a fence and planting shrubs—all to turn the Athletic Complex into the biggest media venue in the entire country for one raucous night.

Press your face up to the glass and gaze in wonder—just be sure to wipe away those nose prints. After more than two years of construction, the Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center will officially open Oct. 29.

After a nearly two-year fight to keep Washington University sports teams in St. Louis, the Bears are moving to Los Angeles. Despite an aggressive effort by city legislators and impassioned appeals by St. Louis sports fans, the Bears turned down the new Gary M. Sumers Recreation Center, which added more than 60,000 square feet compared to the previous Athletics Complex.