On Nov. 13, the Joe Frank Sanderson Center hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its $2.5 million student-funded renovation project.
The renovations, which began in March 2024 and were funded by the Mississippi State University student activity fee, included repurposing four racquetball courts on the second floor, generating a 7,000-square-foot, open-concept fitness space and converting a first-floor racquetball court into a bouldering cave with a MoonBoard interactive climbing wall.
This is the first major renovation to the Sanderson since it opened in 1998.
Regina Hyatt, the vice president for student affairs at MSU, talked about the importance of having a nearby exercise and recreational center available for students to use at their leisure.
“We all know that wellbeing is such a critical part of the student experience, and having a space like this in the Sanderson Center is critical to student success,” Hyatt said. “We know one of the best things that you can do for yourself to feel better is to move your body, and we have great places here in this building for this to happen.”
Patrik Nordin, the director of University Recreation, said that this project was personal for him.
“In 1998, when this building opened, that was a really special time for students here at Mississippi State,” Nordin said. “I was a senior in college that year, and I can say that every student on campus was really excited about this building. For me, that feeling has not gone away.”
Nordin explained that the renovations were driven by students wanting to improve the facility to better serve their desires.
“We have almost doubled the amount of fitness space,” Nordin said. “They also wanted more climbing opportunities. So, we hired an architecture firm and a contractor, and they developed a design that allowed for an additional fitness space compared to what we had when we opened the building.”
Jacob Forrester owns Ethos Contracting Group, the contracting group that was chosen to do the renovations. He gave a more detailed explanation of the technical aspects of the renovations done to the center.
“We added a stairway to the Sanderson Center,” Forrester said. “And then we filled in a large opening on the second floor with some structural steel. Filled it in with concrete and then did a lot of new finishes here. New painting, wall graphics lockers, some millwork.”
Forrester expressed gratitude for his company being chosen for the renovations.
“We were just so blessed and fortunate to be able to work with MSU planning, design and construction,” Forrester said. “The Sanderson Center staff were just phenomenal to work with. So, we were very grateful to be part of the team, thankful that we were part of the team and really enjoyed what we were doing with the time.”
Tori Welch is a senior majoring in natural resources and environmental conservation and a student worker in the Outdoor Adventures area of the Sanderson Center, serving as a route setter for the new bouldering cave. During the grand opening for the renovations, Welch demonstrated how to climb the wall and even convinced MSU President Mark Keenum to attempt climbing.
Welch expressed her excitement about people using the new equipment.
“I would say that I absolutely love them,” Welch said. “It brings in a lot of different students from all different levels of climbing, ability to just be able to come and be a part of something new. I think the renovations upstairs as well, have just created a new space that people can work out at. It’s really encouraging to have these renovations for people to come in and try something new.”
Nordin shared the same sentiment.
“I’m really, really excited for the students that are coming in and seeing this for the first time,” Nordin said. “I’m getting the same sort of experience that I had when I was a student here.”
Hyatt explained that these are far from the only renovations planned for the Sanderson Center.
“We have a much longer list of projects that we will be tackling in the coming years,” Hyatt said. “And with President Keenum’s support, our next big project will be pickleball courts outside the Sanderson Center.”
