A growing, popular trend across campuses all over the US is hammocking. Companies like Eagle Nest Outfitters (ENO) and Elevate Hammock Company have reported that hammock sales have doubled over the past two years.
During the past few months, students have become upset due to being told that they are not allowed to hang hammocks between trees on campus. Students have been approached by Campus Security while in their hammocks and asked to take them down. I personally have heard from one student who was told if she did not get out of her hammock it would be cut down.
The reason hammocks are “banned” on campus is due to fear that the stress on the trunks might damage the tree. Students are upset with the issue because it is not clear whether it is allowed or not.
One day I was out in my hammock on Chapman Commons enjoying the nice weather. About an hour into my hammocking session I was approached by Campo and asked to vacate my hammock and take it back to my apartment.
Once I got back to my apartment I was scrolling through Instagram and found a photo taken of me in my hammock posted by the official University of Tulsa page. Clearly there are some mixed messages going on here.
This past semester the university banned the self-balancing mini segways on campus (it’s not a hoverboard, it doesn’t hover). There was a formal email from the university and flyers were posted stating the ban. I have never seen any sort of email or written rule by a TU employee that says: hammocks are banned on campus.
Motions have been made to SA asking for some sort of hammocking posts to be constructed around campus. Some students take their hammocking affairs off campus to places like Woodward Park or Turkey Mountain, but others still hang on campus and try get an hour or two in before Campo comes and shuts them down. Hopefully soon students will be allowed to hammock as they wish on campus, but until then we must fight to #FreeTheHammock.
