Students and members of the community enjoy their time skating
On Nov. 16, half of the basketball court in Gentile Hall became a roller skating rink! The UMPI Student Activities Office, with the help of Neon Entertainment, orchestrated the event. Roller skating was free for UMPI students and open to the community. Skates were also available at no cost.
Violet Washburn, coordinator of campus engagement and international student services, helped make this event possible.
“The idea just kind of came to me,” Washburn said. She originally thought the roller rink and a dance would coincide nicely and wanted to meld the two concepts. The roller rink skating event eventually became its own entity.
“It’s (roller skating) not really my thing, but I thought other people would have fun with it,” Washburn said.
For some students, this was a new experience. Fenix Jourdan, a junior at UMPI, roller skated for the first time at this event.
“I haven’t roller skated– ever,” Jourdan said. “It was spur of the moment. I heard them playing some pretty good songs and decided to come over.” Jourdan was on the other side of the gym when he decided to come participate.
“I think it’s (the event) a great opportunity,” Tiffany Smith said. “It’s good for us to do something to de-stress and avoid that cabin fever feeling.”
The roller skating rink event provided a fun new adventure for UMPI students and members of the community alike.
