Columbia University Facilities and Operations has announced that Uris Pool will be temporarily converted into an indoor skating rink for the holiday season.
“Over the summer and throughout the semester, we kept emailing students about when the pool would be open or closed, but hardly anyone ever showed up,” a disheartened Facilities employee said. “But then, we realized our emails had been consistently missing one thing: holiday spirit.”
Many of those working in the Dodge Fitness Center wanted to spread holiday cheer on campus. Throughout November, Facilities began to convert Dodge into what Columbia Undergraduate Student Life described as an “underground holiday hub.” The Running Track was renamed a “Reindeer Run Racetrack,” decorated with lights and neon signs that say “SANTA STOP HERE.” To promote inclusion and student engagement, each floor of the Tri-Level Fitness Area was dedicated to a Winter holiday, with festivities for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.
The Monday after Thanksgiving break, the Percy Uris Natatorium’s temperature was lowered to 29°F, allowing the pool water to freeze over. Meanwhile, the nearby locker rooms were converted into a hot chocolate booth and an ice skate rental stand.
During days of normal operations, Uris Ice Rink is expected to close every 1 to 2 hours for maintenance to ensure the ice remains a safe and smooth skating surface. Students can therefore expect to receive approximately 10 Uris Rink update emails every day until early January, and they will be notified every time the Zamboni enters or exits the rink.
A Columbia spokesperson did not respond to The Fed’s inquiry about rumors of the significant percentage of human waste-related contents present in the Natatorium’s ice.
