Gliding Down Memory Lane

The Montclair campus recently played host to a joyous gathering of alumni eager to partake in a beloved winter pastime at their alma mater. This exclusive Alumni Open Skate at the Montclair State University Ice Arena provided attendees with access to a dedicated rink at the arena for 90 minutes of free skate set to music designed to get you off the bleachers and onto the ice. The gathering took place on Saturday, March 2. While this event was the first of its kind, due to the outpouring of positive feedback, it certainly will not be the last.

As soon as the Zamboni cleared the perfectly polished and glistening ice, skaters of all ages and skating abilities laced up their skates and flocked to the ice. The arena was quickly filled with the laughter and happy faces of former students, now adults, many with families of their own, gliding together through the afternoon skate. This event provided a welcome escape from the dreary winter weather and an opportunity to take advantage of one of their alma mater’s offerings. “This was such a fun event,” said Lakia Curtis ’04 “I hadn’t skated here since I was a student! It was nice to be back on campus.”

Once the skaters were worn out from 90 minutes of skating, they were treated to cups of hot cocoa and trays of delicious cookies. Bisrat Mekbeb ’01 shared, “My daughter and her friend thoroughly enjoyed the rink and even more, the plentiful amount of cookies and bottomless cups of hot chocolate served as part of this alumni event on a cold and rainy Saturday. Kudos to the Alumni Engagement team for using this gem of space to connect alumni and their friends and family. I look forward to more of these events.”

One of the standout features of the event was the inclusivity. Alumni, many of whom had not been back to campus in many years, were able to extend the invitation to their families and friends. For some families, their children were experiencing campus for the very first time. The ice rink became an intergenerational Red Hawk party! “It was so nice to share this beautiful ice skating rink with my daughter, years later after skating here as an undergrad. Now she is even more impressed by my college experience,” said Bisrat Mekbeb ’01.

Looking ahead to the fall, alumni and their families are all invited to Homecoming which will be on Saturday, September 28. This is a day filled with fun, food and football for alumni and families of all ages. Mark your calendar for a Salsa Dancing Lesson coming up on Tuesday, April 16. Be sure to give us your updated contact information to receive invites to all events. (Note: Bloomfield Alumni, please update your contact information here.) Also, check out the calendar of events to view offerings across the campus open to alumni. We hope to see you again soon!

Click here to view photos from the event.

Visit the Ice Arena
The Montclair State University Ice Arena currently has three permanent public skate sessions: Fridays at 9:10 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. and Sundays at 4:00 p.m. Sessions get added weekly! Visit the website to learn more.