As a kid, my favorite part about the winter time was going ice skating. I always looked forward to the days when my mom and I would bundle up and head over to the skating rink. The nostalgia hit instantly once I was able to go with all of west campus to Lynah rink. I was happy to make new memories with my friends, and felt like I was starting off the semester on a right note!

The west campus ice skating event was a really wonderful way to start off what would prove to be a tough semester. Without it I think there are several friends who I would not otherwise have stayed connected with and for that I’m very appreciative. I’ve always tried to go ice skating regularly, ever since some of my group of friends started going far back freshman year. It can be difficult to keep track of ice skating events that are available or even free to the public, especially early in the semester when you’re trying to figure out your schedule and everything else. Id love it if we did another ice skating event!

I am not a fan of anything that has to do with water, even frozen water but with the help of my friends I was able to get on the ice and skate (or at least try). I would personally not try to skate again but if my friends are there with me I know I would be more willing to throw on skates. I am happy that this was an option for me because even though I was scared I am happy I went on the ice and even got to complete the whole rink.

Ice Skating one of my favorite activities on campus. Lynah Rink especially is certainly a hidden gem of Ithaca. The act of ice skating with friends itself was a beautiful way to spend time, also meeting new people while falling down on the ice was mildly embarrassing but turned to extremely fun. Watching other “pro” skaters is always a past time I have when I’m in the rink. I keep telling myself that one day I’ll get better, another lie added to the list containing promises about going to class and eating healthy.

The west campus ice skating event was a really wonderful way to start off what would prove to be a tough semester. Without it I think there are several friends who I would not otherwise have stayed connected with and for that I’m very appreciative. I’ve always tried to go ice skating regularly, ever since some of my group of friends started going far back freshman year. It can be difficult to keep track of ice skating events that are available or even free to the public, especially early in the semester when you’re trying to figure out your schedule and everything else. Id love it if we did another ice skating event!

I got to go ice skating with some fellow rose scholars and I was TERRIBLE. I have only been skating once or twice prior to this event so it was rough. I held on to the railing for most of the time. But, it was still a fun experience and I am glad my best friends were there to struggle along with me.

I would go again, but I would try to not hold on the railing as much…

Enjoy the picture we took at the rink!

The West ice skating trip at the beginning of this semester was such a good idea. It was a great way to start off the semester spending time with friends and not worrying about all the essays, exams, and applications that would eventually need to be done. For a few blissful hours the only thing to worry about was falling on the ice. Looking back, I can’t believe how much has happened since this event took place. Time has flown by and I can’t believe it. We don’t realize a lot of things until we look back and reflect on what happened. Looking back I can definitely say that I am so happy I decided to go to this event. Sometimes I can get very lazy and I come up with a million excuses as to why I should not leave my room. I constantly tell myself that I can just do that thing later. I can go ice skating next week. Well I am glad I decided to go to this event because I have not gone ice skating since and I actually really like ice skating. Whenever I have a bad day, it is memories like this one that put a smile on my face and help me push through the day. As we near the end of the semester and the stress from grades, final exams, internships, and future plans pile up, I am so thankful to have this memory to close my eyes and escape to for a little while.

Ice Skating has always been a very special campus activity for me. I first went to ice skate on campus, at the behest of my friends, in my freshman spring. I kept going to ice skate through sophomore year, fall semester. This time round, it was almost a year later that I was again going to ice skating. However, I had gotten no better at ice skating. In fact, the number of times I slipped and fell quadrupled from last spring, my first time. However, it was just as fun, if not more. Ice Skating has now turned into  a reunion event for my friends-group. None of us can properly skate, but getting together and struggling to skate successfully is always extremely fun. The hot chocolate and marsh-mellows after the event are the cherry on top!

The West Campus Ice Skating event was enjoyable and fun because of the free skates, catchy music, and the large amount of people in attendance. It took me a long time to get skates because sizes 6, 7, and 8 ran out, so I needed to wait for people who were returning theirs. After some waiting, asking, and trying on skates, I finally found a pair of skates that were my regular shoe size even though it was big on me. I had to be careful because I could sprain my ankle for wearing big skates. Luckily, I got on the rink and skated with my friend who waited for me. I did feel the looseness of the skates, but I was able to skate more comfortably after a few laps. I really enjoy skating because it challenges me to balance on the ice. It also makes me happy when I see other people helping one another out. I think ice skating is a friendly, non-competitive, and cohesive activity because people are gathered in one rink and if one person falls down, another person will help that person get up.

West Campus ice skating night was quite a fun time. We walked through the blistering winds and freezing temps to get to Lynah, the skating rink of legend. About a quarter of West Campus showed up to test their varying levels of skill against the perils of what is essentially a cleaner and more well-kept the equivalent of the ice outside. The most interesting part of ice skating was probably watching those who had obviously had practice and training versus those (myself included) who had little to no prior experience and were just trying not to fall. I haven’t ice skated in a few years, so getting on the ice with blades attached to my feet was a thin line between moving like a scarecrow and looking like an actual human. It was really fun though once I got the hang of it. A really great time to spend time and reconnect with friends after the winter break.

This past weekend I attended the West Campus Skate event with my suite mates and other friends. The event was a great opportunity to catch up with those I had not seen since the fall semester and also to make some memories.

I had some difficulty at first remembering how to skate but after some time was able to semi-glide my way around the rink. I even managed to not fall with the assistance of my friends.

Overall it was a wonderful time and I am glad I got to skate in Lynah Rink before I graduate!

Last week, I went to the Ice Skating event.

It was the first time this year I went to ice skating.  I met many old friends and practiced ice skating.

We took lots of pictures. It is a fun event. I hope we can have this type of events as many as possible.

The first Rose scholar event was ice skating at Lynah Rink. After being back for a couple of days, I realized that it was a west campus-wide event, which I thought was really nice. Upon arrival, the line to get skates was really long and my friends and I were worried about there not being enough skates for everyone. The anticipation was killing us, as the line slowed down when we were almost to the window. Thankfully, there were plenty of skates, hockey ones at least (as opposed to figure skating skates). As soon as I stepped on to the ice, I felt unsure. I had been skating many times before, but many years ago also. Being on the ice was strangely familiar, but not. With hockey skates, it seemed as though I had forgotten how to skate. After going around a couple of times, I became more comfortable on the ice and paired up with friends that were at about the same skill level as I was.

The event was a great way to kick off the semester. I saw a bunch of my friends that lived on West that I hadn’t seen since last semester. I got to interact with them and have conversations while trying to keep my balance on the ice. I saw people gliding effortlessly and gliding with a bit more difficulty, but most of all, I saw smiles on peoples’ faces, even after falling on the ice. Being back in the rink took me back to my middle school days and reignited my desire to learn how to skate properly again. Thanks, Rose house!

Last Friday, I went ice skating for the first time in my life.

As an extremely clumsy person with zero skating skills, I was expecting a disaster. (I even started betting with my friends how many times I was gonna fall in the ice. The bets were 5, 13, 14, and 25 – which shows my friends know me quite well haha). A fun disaster.

Unsurprisingly, I stayed most of the time near the barriers to try to learn the basics. Still, it was extremely fun. Between falling, almost falling, and laughing (a lot) due to falling and almost falling, I was able to slowly make progress, even if only a bit.

I also saw some friends I hadn’t talked to in a while, which was very nice! At one point, one of them even tried to help me keep my balance without the barrier and, about 30 seconds later, we were both on the ground because of me hahahaha

Overall, this was a great way to start the semester! I had a lot of fun while trying something entirely new to me, and I’d definitely like to try ice skating again sometime! 🙂

I was a bit afraid to go to this event. It had been a few years since I last skated and I had just recovered from a sprained ankle. The first few laps around the rink I stuck to the wall just to be safe. But after a few more, I felt more confident and strayed a bit away from the sides. It was nice to revisit the feeling of silently gliding across the ice, almost like flying. Then I walk back onto the ground with my clunky skates, taking wobbly steps back to the counter.

This was actually my first time at Lynah Rink and I’m so glad I went. It was nice to start off the semester with a chill (haha) event and pick up any remaining skating skills I had left in my muscles.

As the blades that were attached to my feet touched the ice, I was instantly thrust back to that long-past period of awkward immobility; literally not knowing how (any not being physically able) to walk. Luckily for me, I had tried my hand at skating a few times at some birthday parties, so gaining my footing came about relatively quickly with each lap. But, just like these milestones we all achieved as children, those of us beginning our academic careers as Cornellians this time is reminiscent of having to achieve them all over again: making new friends, becoming grounded in our classes and work, and gaining our footing (literally in the winter) on a new campus. While I am not a transfer student, I appreciate the role Cornell is playing here — in this first week of classes, and first week of school for some, a bit of light-hearted fun and cheer goes a long way in making every student feel more at home. These activities make friends out of our communities and social interaction out of our social groups. I couldn’t appreciate it more. It’s an excellent way to put our best foot forward.

Last Friday night, I ice skated for the third time in my life. The first time I ever went ice skating was about 10 years ago and I absolutely hated it. Even when my friends invited me to go to the rink nearby, I would say no because I was legit traumatized of falling down and breaking something.

After a decade, I decided to go ice skating last fall because I thought “I’m new in Cornell so might as well try new things.” I’m glad I did because I had a lot of fun that night even though I spent the whole night clinging to the walls. Fast forward to January 25th, I was really excited to see that West Campus had an ice skating party because I really wanted to do it again.

I am extremely bad at ice skating but I still had fun. My friends were complete angels and never let me go the whole time there, so as to prevent me face planting the ice. It was an accomplishment for me because I was able to leave the comforting support of the wall this time around. Now I need to go one more time and I’ll be skating like the pros in no time.

The first Rose event of the semester was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in the program thus far. It was particularly a treat to be able to do something I have been meaning to do on campus, for free, with friends. I also enjoyed spending time with individuals from other houses in the west campus system. It definitely reinforced a feeling of community between houses because it was a fun shared experience we could bond and connect through. Those who were beginners quickly made friends at their skill level, and those who had ice skated before paired up and often could be seen assisting those who needed help learning the skill. These types of connections would not have happened had we just been sitting around conversing with one another. The common experience created a unique type of associate that I will seek out in other Rose House activities.

I don’t get the opportunity to go ice skating very often, but when I do, I always have fun. I may have fallen a few times, but I got to hang out with my friends and relax after the first week of classes. I was excited to get the chance to go skating this semester since I did’t have time to go in the fall.  It has been a long time since I have been skating, and I had a great time re-learning the skill with my friends.