Illini Union Rec Room/Bowling Alley

David Myers  Net id: myers22

Troy Holler  Net id: holler1

Jack Hansen Net id: hansen25

Matt Wieber Net id: wieber1

  Dan Kelly Net id: kelly29

In our second RST 110 Assignment, we chose Illinois Union Rec Room/Bowling Alley as an example of Commercial Recreation.  Commercial Recreation agencies main objective is to make a profit.  In order to obtain information about the Illini Union Rec Room/Bowling Alley, we got in contact with the manager of this agency, Donna Wargo.

When we got in touch with Donna, she informed us that the Rec Room has evolved greatly over the years.  Bowling and Billiards was the first to appear in this Union Rec room during a 1962 renovation.  At first the Billiards and Bowling Lanes were not together, and the arcade portion was scattered throughout the lower level.  In 2004, the spaces were remodeled which allowed all of these activities to be put in the same area.  Since the remodel, the Rec Room/Bowling Lanes has added many features, such as Buzztime Trivia, as well as Xbox and Wii gaming.

When we contacted Donna, she told us that she does not know what the original thinking was when the spaces were first designed and built, but she was able to tell us some of the focuses and goals of the agency now.  Their goal is to create a comfortable space for students and guests to play and relax at an economical price.  This involves a lot of things such as programming events, working with student organizations, and otherwise working with departments and outside entities to make good use of the space.  The concept of renaming the facility the “Rec Room” was for it to be the type of space you might have in your own house.  A place you could have fun, meet friends, and be comfortable.

When asked, what are some competencies for a job in this agency,  Donna replied with "For my job I would say the competencies required reflect a management core (financial, supervisory, etc.) as well the programming aspect (creativity, collaboration, initiative)."  Donna continued with stating how the agencies clientele changes every four years, and even though the age may stay the same, culturally it is constantly changing.  She also said that adaptivity is absolutely imperative, looking toward the new trends of new students.  Donna added that "If I don’t have the ability to provide and teach my staff to provide excellent customer service, all the other skills become a moot point."

For opportunities in this industry, Donna says that experience is important.  Specifically, for the bowling and billiards business working in a similar environment will assist in the skills and experience needed.  She told us that there are many opportunities to build these skills and that above all, they are a service business.  This agency is trying to create an experience so that customers feel their time (and money) spent in the Rec Room/Bowling Alley are worthwhile and so they will want to return.  Working in the environments that we mentioned earlier (competencies) will benefit any search for employment.

Like many businesses, the recent economy has had an effect on this business.  Donna Wargo has been in this business for 20 years and has seen cyclical ups and downs regarding the popularity of billiards and bowling.  However, a trend that has been happening for many years is the decline of ‘serious’ bowlers and the increase in bowling just being a social activity.  One can see this with the increase of bowling establishments that have more of a "club" atmosphere.  The trend overall is for customers to expect more of an “experience” and that isn’t just the bowling or billiards – it has to do with the other things offered that add to their pleasure while they are in the Rec Room – lounge, big screen TV, comfortable furniture, food, music, etc.  The Rec Room/Bowling Lanes have had to adjust to various changes in different trends of all customers.

When I asked Donna Wargo what her definition of leisure was, she responded with "My definition of leisure is the time I spend away from my job or place of employment.  It is the time I can CHOOSE what I want to do."  She continued with saying that this is why customer service is so important – people CHOOSE to come to their place of business and spend their money – and that she needs to give them every reason to return.

Before we went to the Union Rec Room/Bowling Lanes, we had this perception that his job or career would be an easy one, and that managing a business like this would be relatively easy.  We could not have been more wrong.  This agency has to constantly deal with and keep up with changing trends of their targeted customers.  Benefits of this job include frequent interactions with customers and co-workers, and the satisfaction of giving their customers the leisure and recreation that they want.  Through visiting the Rec Center/Bowling Lanes and talking with the manager Donna Wargo, we gained valuable insight on Commercial Recreation and a specific agency within Commercial Rec.

Assignment 2, Team A, Savoy 16 Theater

For our second assignment, we chose the Savoy 16 Theater as a form of commercial recreation.   Commercial recreation is different than other forms of recreation because they are privately-owned businesses that provide leisure services and their main motivation is profit.  The specific movie theater we chose to examine is Savoy 16 Theater in Savoy, Illinois and we were able to get in contact with Manager Tad Fritts.

Although Mr. Fritts was not positive, he believes that the theater was established in 1991.  The formal name of the theater is the Goodrich Savoy 16 Theater, which is a part of a chain of movie theaters in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan.  The building was built through the funding of private corporations.  The main purpose of this corporation is to provide entertainment for residents.

For those wanting a career in this industry, the crucial core competencies are having people skills and dealing with customers, according to Tad Fritts.  Very basic skills are needed like teamwork, reliability, and able to adjust easily to diverse situations.  Good communication are important to be successful at this job as well.  Customer service is a major part of the job and an essential way to get the customer coming back to watch movies.

 

There are many different opportunities available as far as job positions in the movie theater.  Some of the jobs mentioned by the manager include ticket vendors, concessions, cleaning, and ushers.  In addition to these main duties, workers must also be able to know the main tasks to running the theater.

A growing trend for movie theaters is 3-D movies.  Theaters have to charge a few more dollars for tickets to these movies because they have to purchase the special screens and glasses to be able to show the movie.  Midnight premieres bring in large amounts of people, which results in large numbers of revenue for Savoy 16 Theater.

 When asked what his definition of leisure was, Tad responded along the lines of how it relates to the employees.  He mentioned that while at work, employees experience leisure through breaks between sets or the occasional down time.  Customers experience leisure at the movie theater by taking time away from work to relax and enjoy something entertaining.  Families mainly experience this leisure by taking their children to an entertaining movie.  The main purpose of Savoy 16 is that it allows the average person to escape their everyday life and enjoy a movie with some popcorn for a couple of hours.

After visiting the Savoy 16 Theater, we gained insight on the movie theater business.  Some pros to a job in this industry would be the entertainment available at a discounted price and the opportunity for promotion.  The hours involved in this job are perfect for those who are not morning people.  Movies are always shown later in the evening or at night and employees are able to interact with customers and other co-workers.  One of the main cons to this job are the low salary and no benefits.  In between showtimes and during the week, profit is minimal and the downtime could become boring.  The movie theater fits into the leisure delivery system because its main purpose is to provide leisure for the public.  Overall, there are many pros and cons to this agency and the jobs available within it.  By speaking with the manager, we were able to gain some first-hand knowledge on the business the provides leisure through commercial recreation.

Leisure Al Nagode

This picture shows a man playing basketball. This represents someone getting away from the work world and enjoying something he loves to do. To me, that is what leisure is. Doing an activity that takes all the pressure off from the world and lets you clear your mind. Playing basketball is my idea of a perfect leisure activity. It allows me to just play and not think or stress. So when I describe leisure I cant think of a better activity then playing basketball.

Leisure Assignment #1

Jack Hansen

This is a picture of a man going for a run on the beach barefoot. To me, this picture represents my own perfect definition of leisure. Ever since I was a kid, staying in shape has always been an enormous part of my life. Now that I am out of sports, going for a run is a relaxing way to clear the mind and get away from other priorities such as school or work. Running is not only a way to clear the mind, but it is fun and at times challenging. I can't think of any other way I would rather spend my leisure time then to go for a leisurely run on the beach and to enjoy the outdoors.

Leisure Definition, Allison Leopold (leopold4)

My definition of leisure consists of time being devoted to something enjoyable that is not anything work-related.  Leisure fulfills one's needs and helps to relieve stress and other pressures.  The picture that I chose depicts a girl reading, a very relaxing activity to me.  I really like to read books just for fun whenever I have the time outside of school.  Reading for fun gives me an escape from whatever is going on in my life and gives my mind something to concentrate on in an entertaining way. 

Leisure

-Cameron Phipps

This is a picture is of a concert held in Grant Park in Chicago, IL. It represents a time for people to go and enjoy shows and get away from their everyday job or take a break from school, relieving any stress that they may have. This picture represents leisure to me because even though some people may not find going to a concert as relaxing, depending on the show they go to, it's still very enjoyable and a way to take your mind off of any work you may have. Music, to me, can be a very effective way to take you away from everyday life. To define leisure, I see it as anything you can that may be relaxing, enjoyable, and escape/forget about any work you have in your life. Going to concerts does exactly those things for me and having been to many show in Chicago, this picture was a good representation of leisure to me.

Leisure

-Daniel Kelly-

This is a picture of one of the most scenic holes at Medinah Country Club's famous course 3. Golf has always been one of the first activities I associate with my personal leisure. Not only is it relaxing, challenging, and fun, but it provides an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while adding a form of exercise. To me, leisure is defined as an activity that is any form of a relaxing break from the monotony of school or work. In this case, as long as the weather is right, I cannot think of a better example than a game of golf at this beautiful course.

Leisure

           This is a picture of a couple relaxing and watching TV. It represents a time that they can just chill and not have to worry about any of the stresses they may have. For me, this picture represents what leisure means. It shows that even something small, like flipping on the TV to watch a show or movie can be very enjoyable and relaxing. The definition of leisure is broad and different to everyone. I consider leisure to be anything that may be enjoyable to ones self, relaxing, or an escape from the pressures of the everyday life.

Leisure

-David Myers-

This is a picture of friends playing a game of basketball.  This is a good representation of what leisure means to me.  I have been playing basketball my whole life and a game of basketball is very relaxing and a lot of fun for me.  I always have fun each time I play and I always come back at least a little more relaxed than I was before.  My definition of leisure is doing something that is enjoyable, fun, not stressful in anyway, and a break from work.  Leisure choices are different for each person, but I believe that no matter what leisure you choose to do it should contain all of these aspects.  Playing basketball does each and everyone of these things for me, and is a good picture of leisure through my eyes.

Leisure

This picture represents my main form of leisure. To me, playing basketball is a way to be active and have a fun time competing with friends. Its a great way to get away from the everyday hassles of work and school. It is also a good way to get a workout in. Players on a school or professional team might view playing basketball as a job instead of a leisure activity. But for me, basketball is one of my favorite leisure activities. I love good competition and the way the game is played. When I have free time, I almost always want to play.

Leisure

This picture represent leisure for me; these two kids are playing pond hockey and enjoying themselves. Growing up playing competitive hockey, one of the most relaxing things is to just play hockey outdoors carefree and just have fun. Most winters my friends and I will play a lot of pond hockey wherever we can and however often we can. To me, this represents having fun and doing something that I love at the same time. I would define leisure as taking part in activities which are both relaxing and fun at the same time and the activity can be done carefree so that the participant can enjoy themselves.

Leisure

This picture is of friends taking a break from studying to play a card game. While taking breaks are necessary components of studying, sometimes it is nice to be able to sit back and relax all the while catching up on a friend's day. This picture is representing leisure as could be seen from many college student's perspectives, taking a break but not venturing too far away from one's homework. This picture means to me that leisure is something that does not take very much to achieve. For instance, all these two girls are using is a deck of cards and each others company to experience a bit of leisure. My definition of leisure is time that is spent away from work, including homework, and something that is able to be enjoyed. I also believe that leisure differs between people. One person might think that walking their dog could be a type of leisure while another person believes that when they are able to sit and relax in front of a TV, then this is a leisure experience for them.