Ice rink available for UD students spring semester

An artificial ice rink is available on UD campus for students to enjoy socially distanced activities, photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 

Bridgett Dillenburger
Contributing Writer

An artificial ice rink is open on Stuart Field at the University of Dayton for the spring 2021 semester in efforts to provide socially-distanced activities for students.  

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Dayton has been working to create safe opportunities with the help of their Spring 2021 Student Activities planning group. These activities aim to promote social interaction while limiting the possible spread of the virus.  Among these offerings is the new outdoor ice rink.

“This group is very excited to be planning many activities for our community that students are able to actively participate in,” said Andrew Moyer, committee member on the Spring 2021 Student Activities Planning group.

The 4,300 square foot rink arrived in early February and will remain open for six weeks. At this time, the rink is going to be a one-time opportunity for this winter only.

Exclusively open to the University of Dayton community, rink access and skate rentals will be available at no cost. Cleaning services will be exercised in between uses. Students can bring their own skates if they choose.

The rink will have times for open skate as well as group reservations. Students can reserve a spot through activeflyers.udayton.edu. Specific hours are still being discussed. There will be capacity limits, however a concrete number will not be decided until rink installation. 

Campus Recreation will also be involved with organizing related activities on the ice rink, such as intramural leagues, including broomball and curling.  

UD is renting through XTraice, an environmentally-friendly, synthetic ice rink company. XTraice holds records for the highest and largest skating rinks in the world.

“We are thrilled to bring an ice rink to campus”, said Melissa Longino, another committee member.

“We can still engage in activities that students can look forward to with excitement while creating memories and engaging in a manner that positively contributes to one’s overall health and wellbeing.”

Stay tuned for more opportunities as the University of Dayton continues to enhance campus life, keeping the physical and mental health of students a top priority.