ARC offers trips, rental equipment

The new Aquatics and Recreation Center offers equipment rentals, climbing walls and field trips.The first phase of the new UTC ARC has been completed, and is offering students access to a multi-level facility with full basketball courts, a cardio and weights section, and the tallest indoor climbing wall in Tennessee, Sonya Anglin, a staff member with UTC Outdoors and a senior from Franklin, Tenn. said.

Students can rent equipment such as basketballs and badminton rackets for use inside the facility with their student ID, Anglin said.

She said downstairs, UTC Outdoors provides, for a $20 deposit, camping and outdoor gear like tents, mountain bikes and kayaks.

Students can keep any equipment rented from UTC Outdoors until Monday and return it for a refund of the deposit.

"We also have the climbing tower a bouldering area that has tons of routes set from beginner to expert, and a training wall for belay clinics," Anglin said.

The 43-foot climbing tower is still a work in progress as it must be put together manually by the climbing instructors, Drew Meyer, one of the wall managers and a a junior from Franklin, Tenn. said.

UTC Outdoors also hosts weekend field trips in kayaking, backpacking, mountain biking and caving for a $20 deposit.