The Ohio State University Ice Rink

Going ice skating has always been a bucket list item for me. Entering my first year of college, I had only gone ice skating once in my life – several years prior. When I discovered that Ohio State had its own ice rink open to the public, I knew that I had to visit. I figured that a trip to the ice rink would just be a fun event that would come and go, but it turned out to be so much more. Skating opened my eyes to my own potential both as a student and as an individual. Initially, I assumed that I would fall over and over again and fail to enjoy my time at the ice rink. However, I quickly picked up the skills needed to allow me stay on my feet, which taught me to not doubt myself when trying something new. This is a skill that I plan to take with me as I progress through my college career. Self-confidence is a very important attribute that is necessary for countless things, and my ice skating trip allowed me to develop that attribute. This trip also encouraged me to go out and try other new things. I enjoyed my time there so much that I looked into intramural ice hockey, having never even considered playing hockey before, and found a league that suited me well. This event marked a turning point in my self-belief and I believe that it will allow me to become a more well-rounded individual with more confidence to pursue what I enjoy in the future.

View from Section 39B at Ohio Stadium

I will never forget the intensity of noise when more than one hundred thousand people cheer for the same team at the same time. I won’t forget the thrill of yelling “H!” and throwing my hands in the air when the four sections of the stadium broke out into the O-H-I-O chant. Nor will I forget the pure happiness I felt while watching my school’s notorious football team perform their best for their fans. The Ohio State v. Oregon State football game on September 1st, 2018 will be the one of the most memorable experiences of my life and will serve as a platform to encourage me to do bigger and better things. In fact, it taught me to be more social and inviting toward other people. I didn’t go to the game with anyone in particular, but because of that, I was driven to talk to those around me and quickly made friends with many of them based on our shared interest of Ohio State football. This experience is something that I’ll always be able to share with others and will allow me to be more confident when being more socially active in other situations, such as in class or in the dorms. This football game marked the day when I changed from that antisocial high school kid to a reborn, confident, college student, and I will never forget it.