Have you ever been on the Northwestern State University of Louisiana campus on a hot, sunny day and just wished you had a place to cool off? Well, you are in luck, because NSU has given The Current Sauce exclusive access to announce that the Nesom Natatorium will be reopening this summer.
The Nesom Natatorium, built in 1938 with the help of the Works Progress Administration, closed in 2012 indefinitely due to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) issues. The Natatorium was named after Guy Nesom, head of the Department of Health and Physical Education and dean of the College of Education.
The process of reopening began when the NSU Fishing Team requested a grant from the Student Government Association (SGA) to fix the inside paneling and add a wheelchair ramp to the outside of the building. SGA approved the funds, and the NSU Fishing Team started finding contractors to complete the work required to open.
The project is set to be completed shortly after the end of the semester.
“I am really excited to open the pool back up. None of the students at NSU have been able to experience it, and even though I won’t be able to fish in it, I think opening it back up will encourage more water sports here,” Luke Iles, junior social work major and NSU Fishing Tournament member, said.
With rumors of the Nesom Natatorium opening back up, students have been spreading hopes of NSU creating a competitive swim team.
“I used to be the butterfly champion swimmer at my highschool, so I always had hopes that they would open the pool back up. I can’t wait to swim laps at the new pool, if it is finally opening up again,” Emily Duckworth, junior mathematics major, said.
With the pool opening up 12 years after its closure, the prestige leaders of NSU came together and agreed that the namesake would need an update. The natatorium will be rededicated to Reatha Cox, and renamed the Cox Natatorium, after the Vice President for the Student Experience’s decades of hard work and dedication to NSU and its students.
“I am so glad that the pool is being renamed after Reatha, she does so much for the school and for us students. I just couldn’t imagine it being named after anyone else,” Xyle Carter, senior Hospitality Management and Tourism major, said.
The date for the ribbon opening will be announced on The Current Sauce’s socials in the upcoming weeks. Students and staff will have access to the pool during their open hours, with the fee for the use being added to the WRAC fee. This year will be the year of changes and better experiences for NSU.
But don’t get too happy because this story is fake! Happy April Fool’s Day!
