The Students’ Association launched the Hammock Hotels project to provide more spaces for students to hammock on campus.
Built out of wooden poles, the hammock hotels will be located on the lawn between McKinzie Hall and the library, and between the Williams Performing Arts Center and the Mabee Business Building. SA voted Feb. 10 to allocate $1,500 from the congressional project fund and $1,500 from the campus initiative fund to the project.
Abbey Moses, executive vice president of SA, said the plan is to begin and complete construction on the structure during spring break. The structure will be 5-8 wooden poles, with one pole in the center surrounded by the other poles. Students can line hammocks end to end, or stack hammocks on the poles which will be around 6 feet tall.
Moses, junior political science major from Abilene, was inspired by a hammock structure she saw in Arkansas. Girl Scout Troop 5441 partnered with the city to put hammock hotels in Wilson Park near the University of Arkansas, according to KNWA news in Fayetteville. They opened the structure in September and received national attention for the project.
“We decided that it would be a really great fit for ACU’s campus and community,” Moses said. “Things that encourage people to be in nature are all very important to me. It is encouraging a spirit of outdoor adventure.”
SA is collaborating with UBikes to make hammock rentals available for students. The Outdoor Club also has resources for those who don’t have hammocks.
Moses said this is part of the current cabinet’s focus on sustainable living and nature. Last semester, they funded water fountains that limit use of plastic water bottles.
“Every time you can point people outside to where they’re breathing the fresh air is really important,” Moses said. “We want to provide those places where students can go with three or four of their friends and hammock outside.”
Rachel Eagon, junior psychology major from Fort Worth, owns a hammock and said she enjoys going out and studying in nature.
“I pretty much fell in love with it,” Eagon said.
Seth Rungdit, sophomore youth and family ministry major from Fort Worth, was born in Thailand, so his first crib was a hammock. He also bought a hammock during his freshman year as a place to hang out and get out of the dorm.
“I’ve taken multiple naps in my hammock around campus just because it’s relaxing,” Rungdit said. “People can hang out with you still when you’re outside. I play guitar in my hammock, too.”
Eagon and Rungdit said they like to find the most creative places to hammock together.
“My first instinct is to break from the trend,” Eagon said. “There will always be people like that, but then there will also be people that all go together with 10 of [their] friends.”
Eagon said she thinks the hammock hotels will be a good place for community. As a resident assistant in Nelson Hall, she said she would consider hosting a hall event at the hammock hotels.
“The only downside for me that I can think of is that it’s not as all-natural in a way,” Eagon said. “I almost want to get away to a forest or somewhere totally unknown.”
Rungdit said if the hammock hotels are used to their full potential, he thinks it will encourage freshmen and those who are new to the activity to hammock.
“Hammocking is kind of a college thing,” Eagon said. “It really would attract a lot of freshmen.”
The $3,000 from SA will fund the hammock hotel by McKinzie. The office of Kevin Roberts, vice president of planning and operations, will fund the second hammock hotel by the WPAC.
