The construction of the new Health and Wellness Complex building is unde way, bringing with it a beneficial future for students.

The new energy-efficient building will be located behind the Student Center and will be the main institution for all athletic and physical education activities.

With the expansion of laboratories, classrooms, office and work spaces, the athletic and physical education programs will have the necessary resources available for students.

On Wednesday, April 5, Cerritos College President Dr. Jose Fierro and other participants held a groundbreaking event to inaugurate the construction of the new building.

“Today we are breaking ground for one of our most advanced facilities that will be completed in June 2020 that will roughly be around 76,00 square feet. This is going to elevate the quality of education that we bring to our students,” Fierro stated.

Fierro goes on to mention that the passionate faculty of the Health and Wellness programs deserve to have a complex that will match the level of commitment that is brought to the campus.

Dan Smith, Dean of Health Physical Education and Dance and Athletics, thanked the community who voted to make the construction of this building possible.

“We have always been limited in space in our division for our performances classes. We have been creative in getting the maximum amount of space in out of the limited area […] making the best out of our limitations,” Smith mentioned.

Having some of the top physical education and dance programs in the entire state, these programs will have two dance studios and large fitness and weight rooms available for students.

The complex will also offer a designated area of physical education for disabled students that will be a part of the adapted program that is currently offered.

“[Some] of the limitations we have [are] a tiny dance studio, little fitness area, little weight room and so those problems are all going to be solved,” Smith said.

Another limitation these programs currently face are the limited amount of classrooms.

Smith mentioned how ecstatic the faculty is to be able to have multiple classrooms in one area.

“Even though we’re physical education, we offer a really strong physical educations program with lecture courses. It will be nice to have our own classrooms because right now we get assigned anywhere on campus,” Smith expressed.

Student Trustee Karen Patron, who also attended the groundbreaking event, was excited for this commencement of what this could mean for students.

“I think its awesome that we are expanding our services for mental health and food services. We’re going to have a bigger food pantry, so now students who go to the health service center only one time a semester can go more times a semester,” Patron mentioned.

The Food Pantry in the Health Services building, currently only offers students one lunch bag per semester which can be a problem for many students.

Patron plans to work with the Compassion In Action club and professors to expand on the availability of food for students per semester.

“I think the [The Health and Wellness Complex building], really expands the student’s opportunity to be a part, to feel more like this is an institution they want to come to,” Patron concluded.