The new outdoor ice rink on the Great Lawn at UConn’s Storrs campus will open on Thursday, Feb. 4, according to the uKindness website.
Skating sessions will be hosted each weekend, Thursdays through Saturdays. According to the website, the hours are as follows: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays; 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays; and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
Students can bring their own ice skates or rent them for free. Also, students must pre-register for a session; there will be no free skating period. They can pre-register for a slot every week online on Wednesdays at noon. Students should be sure to bring their IDs with them when attending their 45-minute session. However, if students arrive 15 minutes later than their scheduled time, then they may not be allowed on the ice, according to the rules on the uKindness website.
According to Joseph Briody, the interim assistant vice president for Student Affairs and director of Student Activities, the idea for the outdoor ice rink was brought up last year by Jess Gerum, the associate director of student activities and director of major events and programming. However, last winter’s inclement weather prohibited the ice rink from being built then.
“Nonetheless, this past Fall, we revisited the idea and began working actually prior to break in December and continued throughout the past months,” Briody said in an email interview.
““Nonetheless, this past Fall, we revisited the idea and began working actually prior to break in December and continued throughout the past months.”
Joseph Briody, Interim Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of Student Activities
In order to remain within proper safety protocols, masks must be worn at all times and no more than 15 people will be allowed on the rink at a time, according to Briody. Also, rental skates will be sanitized after every use.
The rink is 5,000 square feet, according to Briody, which he said is about one-third of the size of an NHL rink. Briody said he hopes the rink will be able to remain open throughout February, and that it may continue into March if weather permits.
