On Thursday, March 23, the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being announced that they will be installing a bounce house on the indoor track. With spring in the air, the non-regulation indoor track will not be relevant as the Elizabethtown College community will use the outdoor track rather than the indoor track. Not only will the track get some use during the warm months, but the student’s mental health is expected to improve.
After the success of the Power of One Day, Etown has decided to give the Bowers Center even more money. They decided to give the students the one thing that the Center doesn’t have yet: a bounce house. The new addition to the Bowers Center will give students the option to take some time out of their day and get some exercise in. Bouncing brings in balance and coordination, as well as engaging the core and producing serotonin and dopamine.
The rules for the bounce house aren’t fully fleshed out, but they are expected to follow Pennsylvania’s Bounce House Regulations under Title 7, Chapter 139 Amusement Rides and Attraction, sections A, B and C. One exception though is that the bounce house is going to be operated by someone over the age of 25, rather than 16, because the Bowers Center believes that students will not be great at preventing accidents since some need a Subway Surfers video playing to pay attention to their surroundings.
Students can expect a maximum of 15 minutes of bouncing per day to ensure every student has the opportunity to jump their stress away. Some students have already had the opportunity to try out the bounce house. They have said that they will give any student more time in the bounce house if they slip them a coffee or a crispy chicken quesadilla from the Jay’s Nest. I cannot confirm nor deny if these rumors are true. Though, I am pretty sure that JayBucks will be acceptable bribes.
Of course, all students must wear socks on the bounce house to prevent anything from spreading around. Also, it’s just common sense that no one wants to smell feet while bouncing. The number of students on the bounce house at a time is six. The test bouncers have said that it’s the best number to launch someone to the ceiling. The Bowers Center has not said whether or not the number will change.
Students are already excited for the bounce house to make its debut. Senior and Bowers Center attendant Piper Wright said, “I know there’s been bouncy castles on campus for like TGIS, but nothing permanent.”
Senior Elizabeth Hice is an avid bouncy castle enthusiast and is highly anticipating the inflation of Bowers’ newest attraction. “I feel that this will provide a multifaceted option for both physical exertion and emotional expression that the school needs,” she said. “You can walk, run, jump or roll around all in one structure. Bouncy castles meet all of your needs.”
Hice also stated, “Bouncy castles do not have the biological or pharmaceutical capacity to create serotonin or dopamine, but they do create an environment that is conducive to the production of these neurotransmitters.”
The bounce house will be inflated on April 1, after Accepted Students Day. The Bowers Center does not want to promise a bounce house to prospective students if the trial session does not work.
