Saturdays are for Skating

It is true. We are Carleton students, so we like to challenge ourselves, learn new things, and have fun. It is a mindset that applies to all aspects of life, even ice skating. I had never really skated in my life before coming to Carleton. But when campus turns into a winter wonderland, where people once laid in the grass of the Bald Spot and tossed frisbees is where two ice rinks appear and hockey pucks and broomballs fly. So, I gave ice skating a shot for the first time last winter. A few upperclassmen teammates helped teach me and some similarly inexperienced first years students. It was amazing how terrified freshmen could get over their fear of the ice and enjoy themselves in the process.

One of the first things I did after returning to campus for winter term this year was going ice skating with my friends. Our group of six Carls (two first-years, two sophomores, two seniors) hail from six different states (VA, NE, NY, IL, WA, CO), bringing varying abilities to skate; nonetheless, we had a ton of fun. We laughed off our falls, played around with the hockey puck, and threw snowballs. What else would baseball players do in the snow?

To finish the afternoon, we hit up Sayles (one of three on-campus cafes and our student center) for a scone and a nice cup of peppermint hot chocolate. It was a perfect pick-me-up. Of course, we couldn’t leave Sayles without a competitive game of foosball and pool. It was the perfect way to spend one of our first Saturdays back in Northfield. Yes, even a kid from the South can enjoy a classic, sunny but brisk Minnesota winter day. Additionally, we all decided to join an intramural broomball team, so stay tuned for more winter fun!

Kai is a sophomore from Charlottesville, VA, who probably spends too much time enjoying meals (and desserts) with friends in the dining halls. He is a prospective double major in Political Science and Psychology, potential Public Policy Minor as well. He loves volunteering for Project Friendship, playing piano at the Weitz, hanging out at Sayles, taking walks around the Lakes or in the Arb, and pitching/playing infield for the baseball team. Meet the other bloggers!