Sledding, on trays or otherwise, is students’ form of stress relief

Whoosh. The sled flies down the hill at breathtaking speeds. The snow is whipping at your face, trying to grasp any exposed skin. Your laugh echoes through the silence, breaking up what would otherwise be a stressful day.

Kent State students go sledding for fun, but sometimes they just need a break from everyday stress.

“I went sledding the week before exams,” said Sarah Lorek, freshman visual communications design major. “I needed a study break.”

Even though the reasons for sledding may differ, Lorek said what you use to go down the hill is important.

“I used a lunch tray,” Lorek said. “It was the only thing around, and I didn’t really want to roll down the hill. The lunch tray was kind of hard to use because you had to crunch down.”

Trays are a common object used by students to go sledding.

“I’m sure students do take trays,” said Edwin Schaufele, senior manager of Prentice Café. “Trays should be kept in the café because they are part of the equipment.”

After sledding with the trays, many students do not return them to Dining Services.

“At the end of the year, the maids find trays in the dorm rooms, and they return them to us,” Schaufele said.

Despite the different ways to sled, many Kent State students do not partake in sledding on campus.

“I used to go sledding when I was little,” said Jaime Ramos, a sophomore English major. “We had a huge hill in our yard, but now I’m just too busy.”

Another obstacle students face with sledding on campus is locating the best hill.

“I went sledding on the hill next to Taylor Hall,” Lorek said. “It was fun to jump the sidewalk, but I had to watch out for the trees.”

Ramos said she preferred to go behind Cartwright Hall, sledding toward Main Street.

Whether students are sledding on campus or have in the past, childhood memories keep resurfacing.

“I almost broke my ankle once,” Ramos said. “My hill was really steep, and I almost ran into my porch.”

When it comes to sledding, one thing can be agreed on:

“It was really fun,” Lorek said.

Contact features correspondent Rebecca Mohr at [email protected].