ON THE EIGHTH DAY (11 MONTHS LATER) ONCE AGAIN OPEN

By Ashley Kolpan ‘24

After what has seemed like a lifetime, the one and the only Bristol Pool has once again opened its doors, glorious as ever. Goodbye to the pale yellow walls, leaky wooden roof, and old lights that would occasionally catch on fire, and not a day too soon! The pool was supposed to open late December 2022 but after months and months of delays, the newly refurbished facility is finally open! Diver Maggie Nye ‘24 responded with “War is OverJohn Lennon” when asked for a quote that embodies the community's joy with the pool’s return!

Some updates include new gutters, tiles, starting blocks, and record boards. There is also a super fancy new scoreboard on which the construction workers were allegedly watching Disney’s Cars 2 (hard at work as always), new bluetooth surround sound, and new tech all around! Women’s Varsity Swim Team captain Sam Karlson ‘23 states, “It is really nice to be back in the new pool. It looks great and the water feels even better.”

Those who needed to find some water in Bristol’s absences found themselves too often with a 4:55 AM wake up call to catch the bus to Utica University, where the pool’s salinity was comparable to the Atlantic Ocean. The senior members of the Women’s and Men’s Varsity Swim and Dive team had to have their senior meet “home” at Colgate’s pool.

John Gessinger, the aquatic director and head coach of both the women’s and men’s swim and dive team states, we “can now utilize the facility for a variety of programming and exercise needs to better the wellness of community”. Will Rice ‘24 states, “the new Bristol Pool has been a fantastic new addition for not only swimmers but also lifeguards. Upon its completion, its new tiles allowed less water to splash the lifeguards and it was nice to get my on-campus job back!”

All in all, it is great to see a return to normalcy! Lifeguards can return to work, and faculty and other Hamilton community members can enjoy the water. Your swim training for Ham Trek can start today! Come one, come all and see the greatness for yourself!