You may have noticed the black stands on campus and wondered what they are. These black triangular pieces of equipment, or what many students are calling the “new hammock things,” found around campus are known as Enopods. They are sold by the hammock company Eno and allow for three hammocks to be set up at a time on the stands. Found across campus, the stands are meant for all hammockers who need a spot to hammock.
Shane Seaton, director of Recreational Life, enjoys relaxing in hammocks and is excited about the prospects of the new Enopods on campus.
“You can go out on a day, even if it’s hot, and odds are, if you’re hammocking between trees, it’s going to be in the shade and you’re going to get that breeze,” Seaton said.
Seaton thinks hammocks are so popular because users feel cocooned. This could be the reason many students like to use them for naps, or, if they’re brave enough, to sleep in all night.
“What I really like about it is that you can go to it any time, even if you have an hour between classes and just hang up your hammock,” said Wes Savage, a senior from Van Buren.
Savage has used the Enopods and thinks they come in handy for taking a quick nap in between classes, reading a book or even doing homework.
“Another thing that’s really cool about it is that because it can hold three people, you can just make new friends hammocking,” Savage said.
Seaton also agrees that the hammocks are great for socializing, which is actually why he is considering purchasing more in the future.
According to Seaton, if the Enopods are popular, there may be more of them to come. Seaton also noticed that their popularity mainly relies on their placement across campus.
“You’ve got to pick the right spot, because if you put it in the wrong spot, even if it’s a good idea, it’s not going to get used,” Seaton said.
After some consultation, Seaton chose to place the two new Enopods in the Village and right by the Tiger statue.
“We have a beautiful campus with lots of trees. They’re just far apart. We have the big trees for the shade, but we don’t have close enough trees. So, I wanted to meet that need of students,” Seaton said.
As far as he can tell, the Enopods are being used by many on campus and were worth the cost.
“I knew people wanted to hammock on campus. I knew that people enjoyed hammocking, but our campus just wasn’t set up for it. So, I wanted to meet that need of students. I try to read and see what the students are interested in and meet that need if there is one,” Seaton said.
By Ethan Dial, Student Writer
