were added to Festival's facilities as part of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts at Southern Utah University. Utah Summer Games In 1986, President Gerald R. Sherratt was inspired by the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and, with the help of the local community, the first Utah Summer Games commenced. After more than 25 years, the Utah Summer Games brings in more than 10,000 athletes as young as three from the surrounding region in nearly 40 different Olympic-style competitions.Competitions include volleyball, water polo, tennis, archery, gymnastics, and basketball. Intramural sports Intramural sports are a large aspect of student life for Thunderbirds. More than 3,300 students participate each year. From badminton to pickleball to rugby, students have a long list of intramural sports to choose from that run the entire school year, with tournaments and events for each sport. Outdoor recreation SUU's, nicknamed the "University of the Parks," location in the southeast Great Basin about north of the northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert gives it a cooler and less arid climate compared to the nearby Dixie region only 45 minutes south. With 13 national and state parks near SUU's campus outdoor recreation is a popular student activity, with many participating in rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, camping, mountain biking and boating in the surrounding red cliffs. SUU is a 60-minute drive from Zion National Park, 90-minute drive from Bryce Canyon National Park and only a 30-minute drive to Kolob Canyons. Greek life SUU is home to four Greek-letter organizations: Alpha Phi (sorority), Delta Psi Omega (sorority), Sigma Chi (fraternity), and Chi Phi (fraternity). Every year Greek students provide hundreds of hours of community service, raise thousands of dollars for charities and build leadership skills. Greek students also tap into a network of chapters around the world and build connections with Greek alumni such as former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman (Sigma Chi), award-winning actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley (Alpha Phi), renowned news anchor Walter Cronkite (Chi Phi). Athletics Southern Utah Thunderbirds have a rich history of competing against college teams throughout the country and in the State of Utah. Teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference with football in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS, formerly known as Division I-AA). When the Thunderbirds entered the Big Sky Conference in 2012 they discontinued baseball and established men's and women's tennis in its place. In the summer of 2020, SUU discontinued tennis. The