On Campus Winter Activities
Snow had fallen thick and heavy over campus just days before, and finally, on Sunday, February 21, the Academy opened outdoor ice skating and snowshoeing activities. After the post-arrival quarantine this past weekend, students had laughed, fell and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with each other.
Students skated on two skating rinks situated behind Goel, each with a maximum capacity of 8 people. Skating times were divided into 30 minute intervals with a first come, first served. As for most campus activities, skaters were required to wear masks and follow social distance guidelines.
Many students shared their excitement around the new winter activities. “It was an unexpected addition and I'm super excited to try everything out!” prep Sarah Sargent said.
“It’s not often you get a chance to skate outdoors on a smooth sheet of ice, so it's something I can’t wait to get started with,” prep Jack Gordon said.
Senior Leila Herman noted that skating was enjoyable even for beginners. “I fell several times, but I did feel like overall I improved my skating skills,” she said. “It was nice to see everybody be together as a community again.”
Lower Weiyi Huang agreed. “Ice skating is likely a must; there’s not much ice where I’m from, Texas, so it’s nice,” Huang said.
“I think the experience was really fun as a first-time skater because I got to spend time with my friends,” prep Angel Guo said.
Upper Valentina Kafati appreciated the rinks’ maximum person capacity. “I loved skating with my friends and knowing that the rink was limited so we weren’t as worried about bumping into others,” she said. “The ice had a lot of holes, though, and was a little rough.”
"I think it is great! Skating is fun in general, but anytime you can skate outside with the sun on your face is a huge bonus!" History Instructor Alexa Caldwell, who tried out the skating rinks, said.
Lower Sofia Morais was one of the first people to try snowshoeing, and shared her appreciation for the staff at the William Boyce Thompson Field House. “The staff in the fieldhouse were so kind and helped us select and put on our snowshoes, since it was our first time ever snowshoeing,” Morais said. “Once my friend and I were past the football field, we were able to walk off the trails with ease and explore the woods without our feet having to sink in the snow with every step.”
Upper Marina Williams found snowshoeing an surprisingly fantastic activity. “I really enjoyed hanging out with friends and trying something new,” she said. “I’ve never been snowshoeing before so it was a strange activity at first but then it turned out to be really fun.”
Some students worried that availability issues would arise with the first come, first served basis for ice skating. “As someone from north side, that is very inconvenient, as walking all the way over past Goel without a guarantee of an ice skating time is not ideal and frustrating,” prep Sarah Sargent said. “I think online sign-ups, an online live count of people waiting, or other methods should be enacted to increase accessibility for students not having the same proximity to the rinks.”
Prep Vedika Amin suggested the addition of sledding to the list of activities. “I've seen people from other dorms sledding, and I think it would be a great idea to have each dorm get a few sleds so everyone can join in on the fun,” Amin said.
“It would be nice to have a bonfire!” Williams added. “Or sledding, though I don’t know where we would sled. It would be nice if mini golf was added again. Or when the weather is nice again, another capture the flag.”
"I think any winter activity that gets kids outside is great,” Caldwell said. “To not just learn how to just survive New England winters, but embrace them… that could change how they feel about winter term.”
