![A long row of rectangular pools extends into the distance between two rows of magnolia trees. A circle of open water surrounds each bubbling fountain in the otherwise solid sheet of ice that covers every pool.](img/2024_week_04.jpg)
One of the last reminders of the hard freeze that hit UT Dallas during the first week of the spring semester was a sheet of ice covering the pools of Margaret McDermott Mall. Even though classes went virtual for the first day of the semester, many F&ED staff stayed on campus during the bitter cold to keep essential services running.