Calling all Cyclones! The icy cold grips of winter have finally lifted and the mountains of snow that were previously covering all of Iowa have melted.

Now that spring has finally hit Ames, students have come out of their cozy dens to enjoy the weather. Students have been seen around campus walking, biking and tanning this time of year.

Most importantly, students have been hammocking. Yes, hammocking season is finally among us.

While hammocking has become a great thing to do on campus, it can be harmful in some ways students might not have thought of.

Because hammocking is a way to relax between classes in the great weather we’ve been having, more and more students may want to do it.

Due to the mass amounts of students who now wish to hammock on campus, there is a lack of space where students can put their hammocks up. Yes, that’s right. There are specific places where students should use their hammocks.

This is because hammocks have a tendency to cause friction and stress along the bark of the tree, which can weaken the bark or leave a “rope scar.”

If 20 students were to use the same tree over the course of a day, the bark is bound to be extremely weaker than it was at the beginning of that day. Over time, this will make the tree look sickly and damaged.

Ways to prevent the tree being harmed by the ropes of a hammock is to put a bolt in the tree. However, it is not wise to go around campus putting holes in every tree you hammock on. To keep Iowa State looking as beautiful as it does, we need to keep our hammocks to their designated areas.

Iowa State recently installed hammock posts on Central Campus to alleviate some of the pressure on the trees.

Some alternatives to hammocking include bringing a towel or blanket to campus and sunbathing in the grass.

Another option is to find a bench or a table outside and enjoy the sun there. These alternatives are much less harmful to campus and are a great compromise to those involved. If you are set on enjoying the weather in a hammock, please use the designated areas or go to a park where you can properly set up your hammock.