Ice skating outings enjoy their prime typically around kids from six to eight grade, but the odd trip to New York City and Bryant Park to cut some ice in December is an evergreen recreational activity.

Student Organization is hosting the trip on Friday, December 11, 2015; from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are just $5 and can be acquired at Wilkins Theatre. Transportation is provided and the bus leaves Wilkins Theatre Bus Stop at 5 p.m.

Choosing to have this outing at Bryant Park rather than Rockefeller Center lessens the tourism and foot traffic. The gigantic Christmas tree might not be in the background, but Bryant Park certainly isn’t bereft of beauty. On top of that, ice skating at the park is free of charge.

Located close enough to Times Square to capture the allure but just far enough to alleviate (some of the) hectic holiday times, Bryant Park is in a great spot. Around the ice skating rink are popup shops as well as eateries. If ice skating becomes redundant after a while, students will have more than enough time to occupy their time with.

The official Bryant Park website aptly depicts aforementioned shops and reckons it’s a winter wonderland, “Featuring more than 125 boutique-style shops in the park's tree-lined allées, the Holiday Shops complete the park's transformation into a winter wonderland.”

For those who are adept with a paddle, public ping-pong tables are available to hit around with friends or strangers. Akin to the ice skating, getting the table and paddles is free of charge, operating on 10-minute rental periods.

Bryant Park was renamed in 1884 to what it’s known as today, honoring William Cullen Bryant, a poet and editor of the New York Evening Post. Bryant was also a civic reformer. He passed away six years prior to its rebranding.

In the 1970s, the park had lost its battle with crime and drug dealers until the city decided to fight back and reclaim the park. The Bryant Park Corporation (BPC) was founded in 1980 by Daniel A. Biederman and Andrew Heiskell to rerun the park’s fortunes and is a privately funded corporation. By the 1990s, crime had fallen by 92% thanks to the BPC. Today, Bryant Park is a beautiful, vibrant part of the New York City community.  

Student Organization is running other events that relate to stress relief on top of the Bryant Park trip, including a “Stress No More” social on December 10, 2015, and “Namaste” on December 18, 2015, designed to relieve some stress and pressure during finals.

More information on their events can be found at https://kean.collegiatelink.net/organization/stuorg.