Andy Saluga

Description

Andy Saluga was the College's first Recreation Coordinator

Timestamp summary of video:
(0:00)Andy was very active when he attended college at Western New York State in 1968 to early 1970s. He was involved in the Student Government and in civil rights. He had decided to leave the college because of issues at the university and may have been shutting down.
(2:57)He had worked in construction in the 1970s and was then offered a teaching assistant position at an elementary school. He had liked to help people.
(3:38)Andy had attended a special program at Hunter College in 1974 and then came to LaGuardia to attend a program here at the college. Andy didn’t realize there was a college here.
He met Fern Khan and Rich Homes a counselor here at LaGCC. The college had been convenient for him to attend from where he was living.
(5:36) Andy began to take courses here at LaGCC in education. He had liked the diversity here at the college.
In 1976, the Main building was under construction “The Great Hall” was also under construction. It had been used for recreation.
(6:36) Andy had graduated with an Associate degree in Education and received encouragement from professors.
(7:46)The college had been much smaller and faculty, counselors and Cooperative Education staff all worked together as a team.
Andy had worked at the elementary school with 1st and 2nd graders, and had attended college in the evening. The Board of Education was in fiscal crisis and cuts were being made which would not allow Andy to keep his position at the elementary school.
Andy was offered an hourly position at LaGCC and had worked with Professor Irwin Feifer.
(13:49) The college was awarded a grant and Andy was able to keep his position. He had worked at the Career Resource Center and was hired as a staff member. He had worked with students to provide them with information. In 1977, Andy was appointed to the professional staff and continued his work at the Career Resource Center.
(16:08) The college had celebrated its 10th Anniversary and he had worked with the Recreation department on the 10K Race. Andy had been recommended to work at the Recreation department in the 1980s and had joined the department.
In the early years of the college, there had not been a recreation facility. They had used “The Great Hall” as the site for recreation.
In 1977, there was a new recreation facility.
(18:02) Recreation was a voluntary program. The college didn’t offer physical education courses. The LaGCC Recreation department opened 6 days, morning until night and the opportunity to visit is all day long and the pool is also open.
(19:48) LaGCC stressed for space so the Recreation area was used as a social space.
(21:06) “With increases in enrollment members of the college were asked to talk about any dreams they had for the college. The Recreation department gave the idea of the swimming pool, to the college space committee. Because of 31st Street being closed, we were able to have the swimming pool. We could not have a fitness center in the E building, but the swimming pool was very popular a good decision.”
(24:06)Various activities would go through cycles, roller skating during the disco era. Basketball, handball, indoor soccer the Recreation department tried to respond to needs.
(25:35)The weight room had intimidated people who didn’t know about weight training, especially female users were not comfortable. Plans were made for a fitness center to have more women using the facilities, they wanted to draw women to the facility.
(27:41) “[LaGCC] is always the place to be – the attitude is all things are possible. People of LaGCC are very special and remarkably diverse.”
(31:20) “People work hard here at [LaGCC]. [LaGCC] has a sense of community as we get bigger and older I hope we can maintain that.”
(32:05) Total time