After several years of on and off repairs, the Gopher Hole, a room in the lower levels of Mary Fisher once used as an unofficial student hangout space, is nearly ready to reopen to student use.
According to their now-defunct Facebook page, the Gopher Hole was once essentially a campus-wide common-room-type area and event venue. It hosted events as varied as open mics, karaoke nights, and even a watch party for the 2012 presidential debates. It also functioned as an on-campus bar, serving alcoholic beverages to upperclassmen. Now, however, it lies abandoned, used mainly by students as a shortcut to get to lunch or class.
FMS Director Andy Voytek notes how the Gopher Hole has been “off and online” since the fall of 2018. While it was initially closed for renovations alongside the rest of Mary Fisher in 2016, the Gopher Hole did not reopen with the rest of the building due to a crack in the room’s waterproofing.
Work to repair the waterproofing began in the summer of 2019, and continued throughout the following school year. However, repairs were delayed for quite some time due to the pandemic, with little progress being made while the school was online.
Once the campus reopened in the fall of 2021, Voytek’s team was able to resume their work in earnest. According to a previous Quindecim article on this subject, by October 2022, almost all of the renovation had been completed, and Voytek was confident that students would soon be able to use the space. The last major set of renovations, to get rid of a minor water intrusion on the outside of the building, will take place over the summer, but the interior of the space should not be affected.
While Voytek does not have a specific opening date in mind, he says that the Gopher Hole is “ready to be used.” He could not comment on any potential student plans for use of the space.
