On one of winter's coldest days so far, more than 30 Elon students took part in the annual Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Mary Nell on Thursday, Jan. 11. Details...
For the second straight year, temperatures hovered in the low- to
mid-40s for the plunge. Students headed into the water to retrieve
plastic boats loaded with prizes and gift certificates from local
merchants, including Starbucks, Panera Bread and Sal’s. The event is
sponsored by the Resident Student Association.
The mercury dipped into the mid-20s before sunrise Thursday morning, making this year’s plunge feel even more polar than usual.
“You don’t really realize how cold it is until you go under and come
back up,” said sophomore Zach Koontz, moments after emerging from the
water. “It’s like a shock!”
“It was like ice—immediate frostbite!” said freshman Kaitlin Murphy. “But I’m really glad I did it.”