Ohio University did not need snow to bring in December and the holiday season.
OU’s Campus Involvement Center transformed Morton Hall’s parking lot into a Winter Wonderland with an ice rink and holiday party Friday night for about 200 students who attended.
The event was free, with the Involvement Center covering the costs for the rink, skate rentals, an inflatable snow globe for photos and snacks and drinks.
Because of the semester switch, the Involvement Center wanted to provide festive activities for the wintertime, said Hannah Croft, the campus events planner.
“We wanted to try and take advantage of the extra time semesters offered,” she said.
Ladawn Caldwell, a senior studying sociology and criminology and the main planner for the event, began organizing the Winter Wonderland in August. “(We looked for) different festive things that you usually wouldn’t see on a campus during this time,” Caldwell said.
Campus Involvement had the Tempo Tantrums, OU’s female a cappella group perform and OU Culinary Services provide free apple cider, hot cocoa and snacks for students.
The Involvement Center hired Artificial Ice Events, a company in Michigan that rents out ice rinks and giant inflatable snow globes, according to Croft.
The rink was made from synthetic ice that can withstand warmer temperatures.
However, the Involvement Center had to change the event location from the originally planned spot on South Beach to Morton’s parking lot because the moisture from the grass would have damaged the synthetic ice, Croft said.
Artificial Ice Events also provided free skates in all sizes.
Although Rebecca Krelko, a senior studying psychology and women and gender studies, said she liked the idea, she was disappointed by the fake ice.
“I thought when they closed down Morton’s parking lot it would be bigger, (but) not everyone could be on it at one time,” Krelko said.
Krelko did have fun with her friends, but she wished the ice was better for skating.
“It just seemed like it could have gone smoother,” Krelko said.
Caldwell had a better time, even though she said she was too busy monitoring the event to actually skate.
“I’m pretty sure now that we’ll do a winter event every year, but we’ll have to see,” Caldwell said. “It was a pretty fun time for me.”
dk123111@ohiou.edu
