Mavericks have an “ice” day
Winter temperatures this week have become a bit more warmer, giving Minnesota State students a chance to get outside and feel the cool winter weather breeze and perhaps even enjoy a winter favorite activity: skating.
From Tuesday through Friday of this week, the Student Events Team has put on MSU’s very first Maverick Winterfest outside the Performing Arts Center where students can ice skate while enjoying music and spark friendly conversations with other fellow Mavericks.
Senior Henry Bowring-McDonough, Maverick Traditions Chair for the Student Events Team, explained the process of planning this first time event for spring semester.
“This is the first event of its kind in terms of everything coming together. There was a lot more that was supposed to happen for this event but just because we weren’t able to meet every single aspiration that we have for this event, it’s still gonna be super fun,” McDonough said. “So just being able to plan super far in advance and roll with the punches as they come and being able to work through that and still put together a cohesive event.”
With the theme being “winter wonderland,” McDonough shares how his placement as traditions chair helped him organize the event and how he sees it continuing for a few more years and how it can become bigger with the collaboration of Mankato.
“As the traditions chair, I’m supposed to have a certain number of events per semester and I had an opening for this semester around this time of year. Usually, it’s something like an ice sculpture or snow sculpture. My boss Bill presented one day like ‘Would you like to just do something completely different and completely new?’ and I was ‘I might as well,’” McDonough said. “We’re already planning for next year. One thing that we were hoping to get done this year but we knew it was kind of a long shot was to get in contact with Mankato City and to connect with their winter carnival that they do every year. And while that didn’t work this year, it’s looking like it’s going to next year. It’s gonna be a lot bigger next year.”
Senior Brooke Andel and freshman Kaleigh Cottrell said that they enjoyed the event because it was accessible and close proximity for MSU students and how ice skating can help overcome seasonal depression for many students.
“I liked how it was super accessible to students and it was a free event to have the opportunity to ice skate with the skates they provide,” Andel said. “I think it’s important they do things like this that get people out of their dorms when they probably don’t want to and find a way to get outside.”
“I thought it was really fun because the All Seasons arena is not super close and so I like that it’s on campus,” Cottrell said.
Freshmen Sarah Oberstar and Kaitlyn Shaffer also shared their thoughts after a long night of skating with their fellow peers.
“I like that it was like free skates and skating for everyone,” Oberstar said.
“I liked it and it’s not something that everybody’s good at so you don’t have to be good to go and like it’s not embarrassing if you’re not good at it,” Shaffer said.
The Maverick Winterfest continues Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 from 5pm to 9pm. Other additions to this event are catering and food trucks which are available on Jan. 25 and 26 from 5pm to 7pm. For more updates on events organized by the Student Events Team, visit www.mnsu.edu/studenteventsteam or follow them on Instagram @studenteventsteam
Write to Anahi Zuniga at anahi.zuniga@mnsu.edu
Header Photo: The Students Event Team is putting together Maverick Winterfest Tuesday through Friday this week, featuring an ice rink outside the Performing Arts Center. Students who are skilled on the ice and beginners are welcome to try out skating. (Nate Tilahun/The Reporter)