Sport, health and well-being are important aspects of living at Franklin.
Franklin听is dedicated to providing听quality wellness services and improving its offerings based on student feedback.听The听university鈥檚 services include an on-campus recreational center, a licensed psychologist, and a school nurse.听
First off, the Tone Athletic Center, or TAC, located on North Campus.听Inside the TAC, members of the Franklin community have access to cardio and weight training equipment, a basketball court, a small听rock-climbing听wall, and sporting equipment. In past years, the university has held Krav Maga classes, yoga lessons, and听Pilates. Just outside the building lies an open field where students often play soccer or have picnics when the weather permits.听听
Aniello de Lucia, the Coordinator of Recreational Sports, joined the Office of Student Life in 2018 and currently manages the gym. During his time at Franklin, Aniello has arranged various sporting events, including mountain biking, hiking, rowing, outdoor climbing, and paddleboarding. He also played a central role in organizing Franklin's athletic partnership with local universities and starting the , FUS鈥檚 intramural basketball team.听听
During the past year, Aniello has responded quickly and flexibly to ever-changing COVID-19 restrictions. Last March, when the federal and cantonal governments imposed COVID-related restrictions for the first time, the TAC closed its doors听for a few weeks.听听听
鈥淎t first,听it was a bit hard because we had to close it completely. It was, more or less, from听one day to another, in the middle of the semester. It was a bit of a shock. It took a bit of time to find an alternative,鈥 Aniello stated. But he did听find an alternative rather quickly. When permissible by law, the gym opened in a limited capacity. To limit the number of individuals in the gym at once, students听had听to reserve a time online.听听
As of today, the TAC is closed per Swiss guidelines, but Aniello听still听works听with students to develop and plan COVID-safe physical activities. Some activities that have occurred include outdoor runs and workouts, virtual yoga classes, and mountain hikes. Additionally, he provides students with the opportunity to plan and lead their own activities.听听
According to Aniello, 鈥淭he most interesting part [of his job] is joining the activities and seeing students听try听new things that they have never done before.听It is very exciting to introduce students to new things.鈥 While he finds it rewarding, the job also presents various challenges. He states that he must always be flexible听when dealing with听weather and finding听activities that听suit varying abilities.听听
Other than Franklin鈥檚 outdoor events and sporting activities, the university also offers a licensed psychologist and a school nurse. Corbin Moro, Franklin鈥檚 licensed psychologist and hypnotherapist, offers two free听counseling听sessions to each student per semester. Corbin also helps听students seek academic accommodations. Cristina Schmid, referred to as Nurse Chris by students, helps students make medical appointments.听听
To learn more about sports and recreation, click听here. To learn more about health services, click here.听听