Getting Groovy

Students of BYU-I and residents of Rexburg gather in an exciting night of roller skating.

Jan 30, 2025

Rexburg, Idaho

In the growing town of Rexburg, students at Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-I) are eager to stay active. BYU-I does not have classic college sports teams. To accommodate this, the campus event center has come up with activities to get the students involved. Every Monday, Saturday, and every other Thursday of the semester, students gather in the Manwaring Center Ballroom to roller skate. 

There are two sessions of skating held each day of the event. The first from 6:30-8:00 and the second session from 8:30-10:00, both allowing a total of 150 people per session. When asked about attendance, one of the hosts shared that the first session gets close to half full, whereas the second session always sells out. Campus staff work hard to engage both students and locals in skate nights.

With the holidays throughout the semester and the high attendance of students and locals, the thought of a themed skate night has been introduced. One of the hosts, Connor Pixton from Charlesville, Virginia, mentioned, “I have been thinking about doing a themed night. Something like a Day of Disco.” Thanks to hard working staff and the creative students, the attendance remains high. 

This Thursday, about 225 students were skating to classic rock, pop songs, and disco. One student, Victoria Mercado, shared, “When you go roller skating on campus, you are transported to a different time period. There are lots of lights and it is very colorful.” She continued on by saying, “If I could put the experience into one word, it would be groovy.” Victoria and her friends like to dress up and go every week to skate on campus. While you can rent skates through the ticket office in front of the doors, lots of people like to bring their own. With a mix of experienced skaters and beginners, it offers a fun and inclusive way to spend an evening in Rexburg.