Students Participate In Nordic-Themed Games At Hydaway Outdoor Center

A Nordic Night event warmed up about 200 students from the freezing cold weather and their academic stress with games and food on Jan. 21 at Hydaway Outdoor Center. 

A Nordic Night, a Scandinavian-themed winter event hosted by Campus Recreation, welcomed students to kick-off the new year, enjoy a nice fire by the lake, play games and enjoy food. They offered students chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, tomato soup, hot chocolate and cookies and provided them with games such as a log toss and a raffle. 

“This event is to give them a little bit of a breather from the start of school just so they have an opportunity to make some friends here, to check out what we have available for them (and) just to have fun as they come back to school and get ready to crush this semester,” Manager of the Hydaway Outdoor Center Hannah Czapp said.

The biggest part of this event was the community. Many students enjoyed meeting new people and having fun with them under the heater and by the bonfire. 

“I just love bonfires, and I just love community. So, I think it was a good combination. I’ll definitely come again,” Hildner said. 

Graduate student Phillip Wilson said he enjoyed fellowship with old and new friends at the event. 

“I would come again. I don’t know if they’re doing marshmallows next year … But yeah, I would come again. Community is great and I like the activities,” junior Mary Oberlander said.

Campus Recreation would like to hold the event again next winter but plan to make changes that will take the event to the next level.

“This is our first year doing the event. So, (we’re) really excited to figure out what we wanted it to look like. And now, we have done it, and we’ve experienced how it can be set up and everything. I think we will definitely do it again and will be more prepared, so it’ll be even better than this year,” Czapp said. “We advertise mainly to students just because they’re our biggest group that we work with, and it is a free event for them.”

The Hydaway Outdoor Center staff is excited to welcome more students at future events. 

“We’re excited to have everybody come back out. We have lots of trips that they can go on. Those are going to be really fun this semester. We look forward to having more people come out once it starts warming up,” Czapp said.

To learn more about events that Campus Recreation is offering this semester, students can learn more at  liberty.edu/CampusRec/Events.

Jang is a news reporter.