Winter Wonderland arrives early at NYU’s Flurry

The IRHC’s annual event at Central Park offered a fun night of ice skating, games, snacks and more.
Byline photo of Matt Petres
Matt Petres, Staff Photographer
November 15, 2023
A person in a beige top and white pants laces up gray ice skates.
Free skate rentals were available for those who didn’t own a pair.
Matt Petres

NYU’s Inter-Residence Hall Council held the university’s 15th annual Flurry event on Monday, offering free ice skating, board games, snacks and performances to students at Central Park’s Wollman Rink.

Two people enter the ice rink with gray ice skates on, one with beige pants and the other with black pants.
Two students stand together, stepping their feet into the rink.

For many ice skating novices, getting on the ice was an intimidating experience. After a couple laps around, though, most skaters managed to find their legs. Others resorted to pushing plastic carts in order to keep their balance.

A person in a white hoodie, black and white varsity jacket, black pants and gray ice skates stands for a portrait on the ice rink.

For some, what mattered most was having a good time with those they love.

“I get to ice skate with my friends. It’s literally the best thing ever. I feel like you don’t need anything more than that,” NYU student David Romero said.

A man in a grey and black sweater and brown trousers kneels on the ice, while a woman wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans lies beside him. A group of people in various colored outfits surrounds them and try to help them up.
David Romero and his friends on the rink.

In addition to ice skating, the IRHC offered a range of board games to play in igloo-shaped tents.

Four smiling people play Connect 4 and Battleship. From left to right, a person wears a green jacket, a beige and brown sweater, a gray t-shirt and white long sleeve undershirt, and a brown jacket.
A group of friends enjoy intense games of Connect Four and Battleship inside the tents.

Many students attended Flurry to escape from business and stress.

“At first I wasn’t planning to come just because I have so much work to do,” Faith, a first-year student, said. “But then I told myself I need a reward, you know, a little here and there.”

A person in a white beanie, round glasses, black overcoat and dark sweater eats food.
Faith enjoys a snack at the Flurry.

After a suspenseful Zamboni cleaning of the rink, NYU’s figure skating team performed to Lea Michele’s “Christmas in New York.” The team’s coach, Stacie Krinsky, cheered the figure skaters on from behind the rink wall.

“It was a very quick preparation because we had a competition coming up this weekend. But we put together a little Christmas number,” Krinsky said. “It’s just really great, I love them.”

A person lays on the ice in a black long sleeve with the letters N.Y.U. embroidered on the front in purple, black pants and white ice skates. Four N.Y.U. Figure Skating members all wearing black outfits watch in the background with shocked expressions on their faces.
A person with black hair and in a black coat hugs an N.Y.U. Figure Skating member who is wearing a black long sleeve with the letters N.Y.U. embroidered on the front in purple as well as the member’s name embroidered on the left shoulder in white.
NYU’s figure skating team coach Stacie Krinsky and a figure skater.

NYU’s Hockey team made an appearance too, supporting both the event and the figure skaters. The Hockey team’s Ryan Füeg was particularly excited about the night.

“Hockey is everything. Hockey is family. Hockey is the brothers,” Füeg said. “It’s a fun place to be with the guys that I love and just have some fun.”

Members of the N.Y.U. Hockey team in black and purple accented hockey jerseys and various colored pants, all wearing ice skates stand on the ice rink.
The NYU Hockey Team.

For Logan Novick-Piña, IRHC’s co-director of service, Flurry is all about the views. 

“It’s great to be in a forest in New York City and be able to see the skyscrapers,” Novick-Piña said. “Such an amazing night. Clear skies, no stars but, you know, all the stars are on the ice right now.”

The back of a person in a white beanie, blue and white plaid shirt and purple N.Y.U. lanyard.
Logan Novick-Piña gazing at the night sky.

For sophomore Ryan Jones, being on the rink had a more personal connection.

“I come from a family of skaters. So, I was like, I have to honor my family,” Jones said.

A person with blonde hair sits eating a salad in a white jacket with navy blue and red accents, beige pants and white socks with black slip-on shoes.
Sophomore Ryan Jones eats a quick meal while waiting for his friends to arrive.

According to David Bernstein, a co-vice president of events at IRHC who helped organize Flurry, this year’s event received over 1500 registrations from students.

People in various colored winter outfits skate on the white ice rink.
Wollman rink from afar.

For the organizers, the event was meant to bring an affordable experience for students to explore New York City.

“Flurry is designed to get people out of the NYU area,” Catherine Ward, co-vice president of events at IRHC, said. “I feel like New York is so expensive. A lot of NYU students, myself included, often struggle with trying to find affordable things to do for fun. And this is free. We’re even paying for transportation for any student who wants it.”

A woman in a gray and navy beanie with blond hair and a black jacket stands next to a man with black hair and a beard wearing clear glasses, black headphones, a navy jacket and a blue t-shirt with a graphic of a baseball player. Both wear purple N.Y.U. I.R.H.C. lanyards.
Co-vice presidents of events, David Bernstein and Catherine Ward, are the secret behind Flurry’s success.

“My favorite part of Flurry is seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces,” Bernstein said. “That’s what this is all about and it makes putting on these events worth it.”

Correction, Nov. 15: A previous version of this article misstated Logan Novick-Piña’s, David Bernstein’s and Catherine Ward’s titles. The article has been corrected and WSN regrets the errors.

Contact Matt Petres at [email protected].

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