After drawing approximately 650 students last year, Student Assembly-sponsored ice skating evenings in Colonial Williamsburg made their return, Saturdays, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, for another winter. The event offers students at the College of William and Mary free admission, skates, hot cocoa and apple cider, providing an opportunity for the College community to have fun without spending money.
Class of 2027 president Nico Giro-Martin ’27 wrote the bill bringing back this pre-COVID-19 annual tradition last year when he noticed that his peers missed the event.
“People really enjoyed it,” Giro-Martin said. “Not every student wants to be paying for everything. You know, William and Mary students are infamous for their love for free.”
When the event returned for its second consecutive winter this year, Giro-Martin decided to schedule three Saturday evenings, instead of last year’s two, to increase student turnout while making sure to use Senate funding efficiently.
“Offering just a couple of nights allows everyone to come,” Giro-Martin said. “Because once you start having more nights, less people will come. So it ends up being less bang for your buck, especially when we’re trying to consider cost within the Senate.”
The event has already been a success, drawing a record 392 people Jan. 25.
“That’s already an increase that we’re seeing,” Giro-Martin said. “We’re probably expecting about 300 here. I’ll be expecting a little bit of a decrease as we go, with the novelty kind of wearing off. We’re still seeing the same excitement from last year, which has been really nice.”
Drawing in undergraduate students, graduate students, beginners and experts alike, the event provides a fun evening activity for all. Cecilia Miller ’27 attended the event with members of the College’s Salsa Club Feb. 1, including her friend Isabelle Courtney ’28.
“It’s fun,” Miller said. “It’s a little bit scary, though. It’s really slippery. I don’t know why I was so surprised that something I don’t do is a challenge.”
Ibrahim Yazdan-Panah ’27, who grew up skating and playing ice hockey, was excited to take his friends to the rink. Yazdan-Panah held his friends’ hands, teaching them how to skate.
“They weren’t able to skate beforehand, and now they’re able to do it,” Yazdan-Panah said. “They can kind of go backwards and do some crossovers, so I think they’re pretty thankful of what I’m doing. They’re hopeful to learn more.”
Giro-Martin explained skating can be a risky or potentially dangerous activity, given the sharp blades of the skates and the slippery nature of the ice. He remarked that SA encountered its first injury at the rink Jan. 25 when a student injured their wrist, but that they have since recovered. Nevertheless, Giro-Martin emphasized that promoting safety in future iterations of the event is a priority.
Yazdan-Panah and his friends said they fell numerous times throughout the night. Although falling down is a scary experience, Yazdan-Panah recognizes that it is a crucial part of becoming a better skater.
“They fell a couple of times, but that’s a part of it,” Yazdan-Panah said. “I fall all the time, so you kind of have to fall to be able to try new things. But it’s good. It’s fun.”
For those at the College who feel wary of the ice, the event also offers complimentary hot cocoa and apple cider to students. Miller enjoyed a cup of the apple cider before getting onto the rink.
“The cider tasted like a melted version of the popsicles that are all wrapped in a plastic tube that they give you at the doctor’s, but that’s a good thing,” Miller said. “It’s delicious, I drank the whole thing before I came here.”
Courtney was excited to treat herself to a warm beverage after her skate around the rink.
“That can be a reward for surviving tonight,” Courtney said.
SA is holding the event one more time this winter, Feb. 8, 7-10 pm. Be sure to stop by with your Tribe Card for a night of skating, snacks and socializing.