Dozens of students celebrated summer on Friday by hopping on an innertube and floating the Lazy River at the soft opening of the Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center Leisure Pool.
Texas Tech's $8,250,000 swimming facility includes wet decks, a splash pad, a lazy river and hot tub and according to Joe MacLean, director of recreational sports, is unrivaled by leisure pool facilities at other universities.
"A lot of the schools have some portion of what we have," he said. "No school that I'm aware of has all of what we have or anything to the extent of what we have."
He said he is proud to say the leisure pool will be the benchmark for other universities to match or exceed in the future.
Tech students designed and funded the project, which began in December 2005 according to the Facilities, Planning and Construction Web site.
The leisure pool did not reach the 400-to 500- person capacity Friday, however, MacLean and Melissa Hogle, assistant director of Aquatics, expect the facility to become more crowded as summer classes begin.
Hogle said 50 new staff were hired to keep the facility running throughout the summer and the beginning of the fall semester.
Devlin Willingham, a psychology and sociology senior from Artesia, N.M., worked at Tech's indoor swimming facility before Friday's opening.
Willingham and Hogle had similar safety and security concerns about the facility, however, Hogle said she is confident her staff is capable of keeping swimmers safe.
A diving well is shared by swimmers using the diving board and the drop slide and must be well monitored, Willingham said, and, as with any attraction on campus, alcohol consumption is a concern.
"As long as they're smart and safe, I guess they wouldn't get caught," he said of students attempting to have alcohol on campus. "If we do catch them, we'll treat it like anything else on campus."
MacLean said video surveillance should combat some safety and security concerns and deter students from practicing irresponsible behavior.
Willingham's place of employment will be a place for other students to gather outdoors during the summer months to socialize and relax.
Patat Ayuwathana, a senior accounting major from Amarillo, floated the lazy river Friday and said he was surprised and impressed with the facility.
He plans to spend time at the pool every day while he is in Lubbock, he said. MacLean hopes the pool will act as a gathering place for students such as Ayuwathana, who will be in Lubbock during the summer months.
"It wasn't just about swimming. It's about community," he said. "What we think we have created and what we hope we have created is an outdoor leisure pool that becomes an outdoor gathering location for students."
For students enrolled in summer courses, the leisure pool is free. For individuals not enrolled, admittance is $75 for the summer and includes admission to the recreation center.
For hours and additional information, visit http://www.depts.ttu.edu/recsports/.
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