Raising the BAR

“It’s a stress-reliever — it just makes me feel good,” says Caroline Bullock ’07 of Worcester, Mass., when asked why she likes to work out and why she chooses to exercise at the Bert Andrews Room, the new cardio fitness center in Merrill Gymnasium named in memory of the late Carl Delbert “Bert” Andrews ’74. When told that Andrews was famous campus wide for his easygoing, friendly manner, Bullock smiles. “It’s funny, but that’s how the room is laid out. It’s very open and relaxed, and I’ve already met some new friends there,” she says. The Bert Andrews Room, aka BAR, complements the Davis Fitness Center, a weight room in Underhill Arena typically used for the most intense athletic workouts. Totaling around $291,000 for construction and fitness equipment, BAR funding came from members of the Class of 1974 and other alumni, parents, and friends of the Andrews family. The Class of 1974 dedicated its 30th Reunion Gift in Andrews’ memory. Bert Andrews, who died of cancer in 2002, had family connections to Bates dating back nearly a century and was a popular and effective leader of his class during and after his student years.