The liveliness of campus is back and better than ever as Ball Circle opens for the enjoyment of all

by ALEXA DELACONCEPCION

Staff Writer

The wait is finally over. After more than a year of anticipation, Ball Circle, which is located at the heart of campus, has officially reopened. The host venue of many of UMW’s numerous traditions and activities now welcomes visitors back to its ground following an extended closure. 

“When you walk [around] campus, you see people hanging out with their friends and enjoying campus life,” said junior education major Caitlyn Fitzgerald. “I have seen so many people playing frisbee and rugby on Ball Circle and it’s so exciting to see.”

As students were effectively barred from the central green space, many felt as if there was a decline in general excitement and engagement surrounding events.

“Losing Ball Circle was really tough,” said Class Council Executive President and senior political science major Shadwick Yoder. “Especially after nearly three years of off and on construction, re-opening dates being pushed back constantly, and having a massive dirt hill was demoralizing to all event programmers across campus.” 

Fitzgerald found that the most upsetting aspect of the closure was the lack of liveliness.  

“It’s the same feeling you get when the fountains are turned off,” she said.

Other students, like junior business administration major Emmanuel Yibass, frequently used Ball Circle as a quick route to get across the area between buildings like the CRUC and Lee Hall. The closure created an inconvenience and made his commute slightly longer.

“Walking to and from [class] was not as easy without Ball Circle,” he said.

Additionally, the closure impacted several events typically hosted by Class Council and the Office of Student Activities and Engagement. Several events were downsized or moved to different locations. For example, events such as Fall Fest 2023 and the Earth Day Festival were relocated to be hosted on the Alvey Green, while Devil-Goat Day 2023 and Club Carnival 2023 took place on Jefferson Square. 

As previously reported in The Weekly Ringer, Ball Circle has undergone extensive maintenance since 2021. Director of Landscape and Grounds, Holly Chichester-Morby explained that these projects took an excessive amount of time to complete because of interruptions caused by large events that were still permitted to take place on Ball Circle, such as commencement and Eagle Gathering.

Now that Ball Circle has formally reopened, students are back to freely enjoying the traditions that embody the university. 

“Eagle Gathering was so much fun and a great initiation experience that made me really feel welcomed into this environment,” said freshman Abby Mitchell. 

The UMW community is visibly cherishing the serenity of Ball Circle, with many seen enjoying the Adirondack chairs and taking advantage of the green space that is ideal for a pickup frisbee game. Various clubs and organizations are also grateful for the returned access. 

“After a long hiatus, Class Council along with many other clubs that host events on Ball are so excited to have the center of campus back open for use,” said Yoder.