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The Heskett Center, Wichita State’s recreational center, will function differently this semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Campus Recreation Director John Lee highlighted the new procedures that the Heskett Center will implement during an interview with The Sunflower.

“We run everything by the university’s health and safety committee for their input,” Lee said.

Guidelines include sanitizing the front desk every 30 minutes, more thorough and regular cleaning of equipment and spaces throughout the building, and finding new ways to host campus recreation events.

The center will be open from 6 a .m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

New procedures

• Masks are mandatory in the building, but visitors may take them off when at an “activity area,” like the gym and pool
• The front desk has changed to allow social distancing between staff and patrons. If you don’t have your ID, you can tell the front desk worker your ID number
• No cash — all purchases must be made with a debit or credit card
• Weight and cardio equipment will be spread out to accommodate social distancing
• Rooms 141 and 143 are available for reservation, but they will only allow half of the room’s capacity at any given time

The Heskett Center is planning to resume activities like F45  in the fall semester. Classes will be half of the standard capacity, and participants will stay in one station throughout the entire session.

Badminton, volleyball and shooting baskets are the only activities allowed in the gym.

Intramural sports will also pick back up at the Heskett this fall. The semester will start off with table tennis and indoor tennis matches, as well as free-throw-shooting contests.

Flag football is a possibility  in October, depending on the city’s public  health standings at that time. Travelling for outside tournaments is also suspended until further notice.

Campus Recreation will have a Welcome Fest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in front of the Heskett Center.

“This is where we are going to promote our programs  with fun social-distanced games, such as bag toss,” Lee said.