Hundreds of students lined the side of Taylor Hall, waiting to slide down the hill on whatever they could find, including mattresses, laundry baskets, tables and, of course, skis.

As Kent State canceled classes on Jan. 18 to allow for recovery from Winter Storm Izzy, which dumped over a foot of snow on parts of Northeast Ohio, students on Monday evening did their part in the snow removal process by grabbing gloveless handfuls of the cold stuff and joining an estimated 1,000-person snowball fight.

The event, organized by the student group Kent State University Ski and Snowboard Club, began on the hill next to Taylor Hall at 8 p.m.

After about thirty minutes of anticipation students charged down the hill and began pummeling each other with snow. Once at the commons, they lined up one more time on two separate sides and charged toward each other, snowballs in hand, attempting to “defeat” the opposite side. Students continued to throw snow, make snow angels and even burry themselves in the snow for more than an hour.

Some of those in attendance saw the event as a way to reconnect with other students on campus after two years of lockdowns, which prevented many social gatherings from taking place.

“I’ve really missed this sense of community at Kent,” said Taylor, a Kent student. “It’s something like this that makes me remember why I went to college.”

 For others, it was a fun way to kick off the spring semester.

“I’m looking just for a good time, a memorable moment at Kent,” said Trace, who went to the snowball fight with a group of friends.

Nicklaus Tremayne, president of Kent State Ski and Snowboard Club, saw the night as a success. “The purpose of the event is to celebrate the start of the new semester,” he said.

Word of the event spread quickly throughout campus, thanks to a group-chat created by the club. More than 1,600 people were in the chat. Group members sent tips for the snowball fight such as wearing socks over the hands if a person did not have gloves or alternative materials for sleds since many in the chat claimed they sold out in Kent area stores.

This was not the first time a snowball fight of this scale broke out on campus. Last year, Kent State made national headlines with an estimated 300-to-500-person snowball fight in February 2021.

“The first time this snowball fight event started was last year as a way to kind of take a step back from being locked up all year,” Tremayne said. “This year we decided that we would be the best club on campus to set up the event and make it even bigger and better than last year!”

The club, which includes more than 400 students, became known over the past semesters for its unique approach to student engagement.

“We are a ski and snowboard club; however, we hold events all year long,” said Tremayne, who’s been a member for three years. “Whether that be rafting trips, date parties, house parties or camping trips. We have a great time and are extremely inclusive as anyone can join the club.”

Alton Northup is a senior reporter. Contact him at [email protected].