What can you find on Facebook Marketplace? A free trampoline. Many of them, apparently.
On Jan. 21 around 8 p.m., a trampoline appeared in Tutt Circle, quickly gaining popularity on the online platform Yik Yak. The trampoline stayed overnight, but groundskeepers took it down in the morning at the direction of Campus Safety.
The student who acquired the trampoline, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of getting in trouble, says the idea originated with a friend — and Facebook Marketplace. They were originally looking for new skis at the end of winter break and while looking, they noticed a number of free trampolines available in the Springs. The student asked their friend, “What if we got a trampoline?” and their mission to procure the metal, bouncy contraption took off from there.
The students borrowed a car from a friend and began messaging people in the community about their free trampolines to see who would respond.
Once they acquired one, about half a dozen friends helped set it up at Mathias and they quickly learned it was missing a leg. They tested out a hiking pole in place of the leg for support, but ultimately decided against it. Once set up, the students figured it would be more accessible if it were in Tutt Circle.
They left it overnight.
Will Deitch, an investigator for Campus Safety, cited a report about the incident in which the grounds crew informed Campus Safety about the trampoline.
After photographing the trampoline, Campus Safety sought to have the grounds crew remove it.
“It was kind of a safety concern, just due to the condition of the trampoline,” Deitch said. There are no specific policies about trampolines on campus, he added, but he noted it had been abandoned.
Cathy Buckley, director of Campus Safety, was also worried about the possibility that it could damage someone’s property.
“Honestly, one of the biggest concerns is that we were facing red flag warnings,” she said, regarding the potential for high winds in the area that day.
Campus Safety said that this situation is not a conduct matter and that there was no investigation into who was involved in the trampoline’s sudden appearance on campus.
During an interview with the student behind the trampoline incident, they said that there will be more to come and that “as long as it’s just costing us time and effort, we have nothing better to be doing, honestly.”