A three-lane sled hill on a sunny, 75-degree day on campus? It happened.
Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) hosted its inaugural Snow Day event Thursday in the University Union, turning a corner of campus into a snowy winter wonderland. Free to all students with a Polycard, the event featured a sled hill, a snow play area, a photo booth, Starbucks hot chocolate, SloDoCo donuts, and giveaways for ASI-branded beanies.
“We’ve never had snow on campus, so I thought of the idea of bringing snow to California,” said Brooke Baxman, an ASI special events student assistant and a recreation, parks and tourism administration sophomore. “I think it’s important to create experiences for students and break up the everyday routine on campus. We’ve never done anything like this before.”
Students were required to sign waivers before sledding down the snow hill, which had three lanes to accommodate participants. Safety precautions were emphasized, with staff ensuring the snow hill was smooth and properly set up, Baxman said.
Planning for the three-hour event began when Baxman, in her second year with ASI events, proposed the idea. After connecting with Questa Springs Ice Company, the vision came to life.
“This is the first event I’ve created from scratch, and I’m glad to see it happening,” Baxman said. “Seeing students enjoying it makes all the planning worth it.”
Christian Ontiveros, a warehouse assistant for LA Party Works, helped set up the snow hill and described the effort behind the event.
“We’re setting up a snow hill, three lanes going, just trying to make an even slope so nobody gets hurt,” Ontiveros said. “Overall, it’s quite fun today and hopefully everyone will have a good time sledding here at Cal Poly on a sunny day.”