Winter at Kent is truly magical as the snow comes down and students begin bundling up with puffer jackets and vests alike. It’s a bit of a cycle; snow comes down one night, and melts in a few days before it comes back. As an international student who has never lived in snow before, this truly was an amazing experience and I was determined to capture all of it.

The snow was a perfect excuse for students to either stay in or stay out. Some took to
the common rooms, where they’d put movies on the TVs together, play cards, or just chat.
Others decided to run down to Hoerle Hall and take advantage of the snowy slopes. On Martin Luther King Day, students and faculty kids were seen excitedly sliding down the slopes. While some had actual sleds, many students simply hopped into large black trash bags and slid down.

As the waters froze over, many went to skate with their friends at the pond. There were also a variety of other festive Blue Key activities, such as chocolate-coated fruit in the Dining Hall, s’mores at the Fire Pit, gingerbread house making & decorating, and far more. Excitingly, there were also trips to Mohawk Mountain for skiing, where students could rent gear and ski or snowboard with their friends.

Winter sports also came into play, where there were many (many!) victories scored by
various sports teams such as hockey, basketball, and more. Skiing also began, where many
students hit the slopes daily. School pride skyrocketed as stands were packed with cheering
classmates and fierce yelling, some winning the title ‘Fan of the Game’ because of their
enthusiasm.

Winter weekend came quickly. Students were not allowed to stay on campus, so they
either planned trips to the city, other people’s houses or saw family that flew over. Students
relished in the much-needed 5-day break, excited to break their long school routine and warmly welcomed the comforting snowy atmosphere.