Florida State University - Renegade / Tally Ho Yearbook (Tallahassee, FL)

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photo by Eric Johnson photo by Eric Johnson photo by Eric John The St. Mark ' s Trail allowed students a chance to be with nature and look at history in a recreational setting. Students used the trail to rollerblade, bike, jog, and even walk their pets. Instead ot cars and busy roads; turtles, rabbits, butterflies, caterpillars and a variety of plants surrounded the area. Having a more natural scene made it a prime spot to exercise in. We go out there sometimes and run a loop. We start on the pavement and go for seven miles. Then we turj off on to the mountain bike trail, which gets us off the pavement and away from congested traffic, said David Ogletree a member of the cross country team. It ' s I change of scenery, you can get bored with downtown. The sixteen mile trail was marked in both kilometers and miles to help people keep track of their distances or speed. The trail was also lined with safety phones, trash cans, and picnic spots along the way. One of the picnic spots on the trail ran through a small community consisting of houses, a baseball field and I rooster. At the end of the trail stood Posey ' s Oyster Bar and Riverfront Cafe. It ' s a great environment to exercise in. It ' s well marked so you can pace yourself, and it is kept in good condition, said Jake Winger, a industrial engineerinj student. St. Mark ' s Trail was used by about 200,000 community members in 1992 and the numbers increased each year afterward. St. Mark ' s Trail had been a hot spa since 1837. The trail was once a fast paced railroad that extended from Tallahassee to the sea. It was one of the first railroads under construction in Florida. Originally the rickety rail bed was for open freight and passenger cars. In the 1850 s the railroad was upgraded and began to ship cotton. In 1984, with the help of grass - rol campaigning by many individuals, the Florida Department of Transportation decided to turn the old railroad into the recreational trail. This idea of Rails — to — Trail was brought up by Dan Burton, who created the vision of an extensively paved trail. However no organization would take on the responsibility ot the project, so a coalition was started by Bill Allen. After some struggle with the appropriated funds, Florida State law professor Joe Beckham and Allen sat on the capital steps ant sketched what was to become a bill passed by senate to establish the St. Mark ' s Trail. The idea first captured my imagination, it was a cool, neat idea. It is a vehicle for people to get out and stay healthy, said professor Beckham. I still ui the trail. I have a buddy, my wife, and we like the natural environment instead of choking on exhaust fumes. The St. Mark ' s Trail Association, which was made up ot users in the community, held races and invited bikers and runners to participate in events. All the. money went to keeping the trail in good condition. At times community members would volunteer to help with maintenance and fund raising for the trail. Tl community took the responsibility of keeping the trail clean. The community interest has grown so much in the last couple of years that the St. Mark ' s Trail has been sort of a hot spot for students to let loose of som energy, said Jennifer Sheppard, a psychology student. People seem to respect the grounds and enjoy getting outside. A ) 20 Student Life

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photo bv Jim Smitn VJ HIDING OF DREAMS On October 18, 1991, doors opened to the Dr. Bob E. Leach Recreation Center for all students. The Leach Center was named to pay tribute to the man whose motto was caring and sharing in order to respond to the needs of each student. During his years as Vice President for Student Affairs, from 1978 to 1988, Dr. Leach believed that concentrating on the social, academic, and personal experiences of students would lead to their success and growth. On September 15, 1995, an oil portrait of Dr. Leach was unveiled in the atrium of his recreation facility. Painted by Mr. Paul Houzell, students and stall felt as though it was the best addition in his honor. Since the center ' s opening, Leach, as it was commonly referred to by students, had become one of the most popular facilities on campus, whether to get into shape, or just to socialize. With such tremendous use by a vast majority of students, there was not equipment available for a workout during late afternoon hours. With a new expansion of 2,400 sq. ft., there was more equipment, which meant less of a wait. According to Peter Marra, Sophomore, They needed more space, it ' s popular in the middle of the day, all the time. With space seen as the Leach Center ' s biggest problem, Student Government, who contributed over $860,000 to Leach, tried to make the center more comfortable and less crowded during its business hours. It has alleviated some of the space problems, but it remains crowded because it is a popular place to work out in, stated Gei Nam Lim, Fitness Director. Students waited approximately six months for the $569,000 expansion to be completed. I worked out at the Leach last year, it ' s a lot better, makes it easier so you don ' t have to wait in line as much, stated freshman, Lyle Fictum. Senior Samuel Jean felt, It ' s very good, it ' s too many people (in the main section), while Junior Tilaine Menard stated, It ' s more convenient, especially when the other side is crowded. Majority of the students enjoyed the privacy of the new section, which allowed them to feel more comfortable while working off the day ' s meals or searching for the weekend ' s date. Leach Center 19

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(bottom) Tallahassee Residents share the road with students. The trail became an asset to anyone wanting a little exercise, (tfelow Left) Students were not the only ones who need exorcise. 9t was common to see man ' s best friend oat on the trail. (fSelow Right) A mountain biker heading back from an off -road trip. The paved St Marks trail connected to the Munson Hills off road trail. (Left) The trail is not only an outlet for stress, but a part of history photo bv Eric Johnson St. Marks Trail 21