Belen Yudess ’25
Social Media Manager
The Sallie Tiernan Field House is home to the Scripps gym, a vibrant Wellness room, several dance studios, and the most beautiful spot at the 5Cs (in my extremely biased opinion) — the Scripps pool. Located at the very end of campus behind Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler and Kimberly Hall and next to the sand volleyball courts, Tiernan offers an array of amenities and programs that will knock your socks on and get you moving on over to the Field House!
Tiernan offers a variety of workout classes such as Zumba, HIIT, and yoga. Their events aim to focus on students’ physical and mental well-being. Some of their programming includes Destress Thursdays, which consists of different types of weekly activities to help unwind at the end of the week. The fieldhouse also offers Condom Canary, a program which allows students to receive free condoms, tampons, etc.
Upon entering the building and being greeted by one of the fabulous front desk staff, there are several resources that are immediately available. This includes Tiernan’s Green Bike program which allows students to check out a day bike, u-lock, and a stylish helmet free of charge. Available bikes are located across the bike rack directly in front of Tiernan, and are labeled by a u-lock number to inform staff which lock key to check out. You have 24 hours to turn in your bike upon the original check out time, and if you forget, Tiernan will call you to remind you to bring back your key.
Moving on up to the second floor, there are three rooms divided by the type of workout that can be achieved based on the provided equipment. To the left of the stairs, there is one filled exclusively with machines that work on cardio including several treadmills, a stairmaster, and some ellipticals. The collection continues to the indoor balcony that has different types of stationary bikes.
The first room to the right of the stairs hosts a majority of the machinery used for lifting, as well as a rack complete with various weighted barbells ranging from the traditional 45 pound to 25 pounds. If you are new to using a rack or want to modify your weight training, there are a surplus of machines such as the leg press, curl station, and row machine. If you are ever in need of a quick tip or two about lifting, you can also stop by the office of Tiernan’s Assistant Director of Health and Wellness Mayra Mendoza, who is an experienced lifter and delightful person!
The final room on the third floor is a hodgepodge of lifting equipment including free weights or dumbbells, metal and rubber barbells with set amounts of weights, as well as more treadmills and other tools such as bocce balls to help you have the workout of your dreams.
There is plenty to do within Tiernan’s halls, but what completes the Field House’s aesthetic revelry is its outdoor set up. The second floor balcony has stationary bikes, a punching bag, and is a refreshing place to set up a yoga mat and enjoy a view of the Claremont McKenna’s towers and, of course, the legendary Scripps pool.
The Scripps saltwater pool is not only the most popular place to visit on a nice, sunny, 100-degree Claremont afternoon, but can also be frequented during the chilly fall evenings since the pool is heated on colder days. There are several lanes for lap swimming, but also a widespread shallow lane that is ideal for floating or hanging out with friends. Tiernan also provides goggles at the front desk while kickboards, buoys, and floating lounge pads are available by the pool. If you are interested in swimming but are not sure where to start on a pool workout, both 5C Swim Club (@5cclubswim) and Scripps’ Casual Swim Club (@casualswimclub) host practices at Tiernan where they usually blast Taylor Swift or 2010 throwback music.
Although Tiernan has an impressive physical set up, what makes it so special is the safe and empowering environment. Similar to the Motley, you are bound to run into someone you know and whether you have been exercising for years or it’s the first time you’re breaking in those new running shoes, everyone at Tiernan, including the staff, are willing to lend a hand and cheer you on as your finish that final .10th of a mile or get in that last rep!
For more information on Tiernan check them out on Instagram @tiernanfieldhouse or stop by and chat with director Deborah Gisvold.
Image Source: Ellen Hu ’24
