Already bored of winter weather? Have you tried the free ice skating at Bird Arena?
The winter weather might keep some students inside, but those who want to get out of the house (or residence hall) will have a handful of options to choose from until the sweet release of spring weather.
One of those options is recreational skating at Bird Arena.
“Recreational skating is a great place for students to come... It’s a really cheap activity to do with a bunch of friends,” said Eddie Kerbler, the office manager at Bird Arena.
Admission into the ice rink for recreational skating is free for Ohio University students who show their ID, and skate rental is $3.50 for all.
The skating rink also holds a themed version of recreational skating from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. called Midnight Meltdown.
“It’s a lot more fun and creative to do one of the midnight skates than just the recreation skates,” Kerbler said.
The next Midnight Meltdown will take place during Sibs Weekend on Feb. 7.
“We have all different opportunities for students and community members to come out and skate on the ice,” Kerbler said.
For those who want to participate in something more competitive, Bird Arena offers intramural sports, including broomball and hockey.
For those who prefer to cheer with the student section, OU is in prime winter sports season.
Student tickets for hockey games are $5. On special weekends, such as Sibs Weekend, hockey tickets go up by $1, Kerbler said. The hockey team’s record is 24-4-2 this year.
And for those looking for something warmer to do, admission to basketball games is free for students with their ID. Six home games remain for the men’s and women’s teams.
Casey Wakefield, a junior studying political science and history, enjoys going to hockey and basketball games in the winter.
“I like the chants at the basketball games and the Marching 110 is cool,” Wakefield said.
Wakefield, a resident assistant on West Green, also partakes in ice-skating at Bird Arena with his residents, as it is a “good way to create connections.”
But if that fails, snowball fights and sled rides are always an option. However, stealing a tray from the dining hall to ride down the side of Athens’ snowy hills could have legal consequences.
“Removing dinnerware, trays or any other Ohio University property from the dining halls is considered theft,” Katie Quaranta said, in an email, adding that students caught stealing a dining hall tray will be referred to the Office of Community Standards and Student Responsibility and possibly the Ohio University Police Department.
@megankhenry
