Frozen Friday comes to Rowan tomorrow

After recent storms have virtually covered Glassboro with snow, it seemed that Rowan couldn’t possibly become any more of a picturesque winter landscape. Think again.

Tomorrow night, Rowan University will once again transform into a winter wonderland, when it hosts its first “Frozen Friday.” The event, held from 9 p.m.-1 a.m., will feature an ice skating rink on the patio behind the Student Center as well as a live DJ, arcade games, airbrushed winter hats, food and an enclosed heated tent for visitors to stay warm.

“Who cares if it’s cold outside?­­” said  Vincent Surace, facilities and operations coordinator for the Student Center. “If we’re gonna be cold, let’s have fun with it.”

While there will be plenty of events, the belle of the ball will undoubtedly be the 2,300-square-foot ice skating rink.

Sophmore biology major Dana Murphy wasn’t aware of the event.

“We saw people with the shirts on but didn’t know what it was,” said Murphy.

Surace said the ice is actually a synthetic material that is safe to skate on and the rink itself will be put down piece by piece.

Originally the rink was to be put on the intramural field, but more than two feet of snow stood in the way. According to Elizabeth Herrick, the assistant vice president of student life, the field could not be plowed because it was seeded and the sprinkler system was frozen.

“Frozen Friday” is the result of a collaborative effort between the Rec Center, Student Activities, the Student Center and Residential Learning.

Getting the word out about the event took a non-traditional path. First came the Facebook page, which now has over 300 fans. Then a YouTube video, t-shirts and posters around campus. The trickle-down effect was used to create a buzz around campus. It seemed to work.

Junior business and marketing major Charis Wilson plans on going to Frozen Friday.

“It seems really cool. I like that they’re bringing ice skating to Rowan,” Wilson said.

Surace and Herrick said they wanted to create an annual event for which Rowan will be known.

“We wanted something a little extravagant,” Herrick said. “How many people can say they went skating on their college campus?”

“Frozen Friday”­ is free for all students with a valid Rowan ID.