A week filled with activities brought warmth and excitement to campus during the winter semester.
In its first edition ever, the week-long SnowFest event help on campus the first week of February offered BYU-Idaho students dozens of indoor and outdoor activities, inviting them to embrace the Rexburg winter.
Highlights included snow sports, a service night, pond skimming, a concert, polar plunging, and a basketball game.
Service Day
SnowFest started with different service opportunities, featuring a service night at the I-Center Counts. Students came with their Home Evening groups to color books, write letters for veterans, and make friendship bracelets, dog toys, and fleece blankets.
“There are a lot of people in the world who are struggling and suffering, and it's really easy to feel alone,” said Wilford Hester, a Student Activities student employee. “Things like this provide opportunities for people to connect with others around them and be reminded that they are needed.”
The completed items were delivered to the local animal shelter, the Family Crisis Center, and a children’s hospital.
Winter Day
Tuesday’s schedule was packed with outdoor activities, as BYU-Idaho partnered with different businesses in the region. Students crowded Gateway Parks for a tube night, skied at Kelly Canyon, and ice skated at Rink 99 in Sugar City.
“The main goal is getting people outside,” said Casey Cruz, Student Activities Operations Director. “All the activities that we have today, there's something going on outside in the snow or in the cold, making sure people know that you can still have fun here in Rexburg, even though it's the winter semester.”
True Blue Day
On Thursday, pond skimming made its comeback to BYU-Idaho. Originally scheduled for Wednesday, but postponed due to windy weather conditions, the activity took place at the Upper Fields.
In costumes and equipped with skis or snowboards, students went down a slope, trying to make it across the pond at the bottom of the hill.
True Searle, one of the participants, said the experience was worth it—the run was super fun. He highlighted the excitement created by the commentators, the hill, and people’s costumes.
The event was also accompanied by a carnival with different games, followed by a drone show.
Concert Day
McKenna Faith and Kabrienne, American Idol finalists in 2024, took the Hart Auditorium’s stage on Friday night for a Center Stage concert. The two singers got to know each other during their journey on the 22nd season of the TV show and have been close friends ever since.
Singing covers and original songs about their personal stories and struggles, McKenna and Kabrienne’s voices complimented each other and made for a great concert.
Plunge Day
The last day of SnowFest started with a 20-degree morning—when BYU-Idaho hosted its first polar plunge. Hundreds of students gathered at the Upper Fields in their swimsuits and towels, forming a long line around the pond.
After jumping in, they warmed up in hot tubs lined up at the back of the field and enjoyed fresh pancakes and hot chocolate. Even with the chilling temperatures, participants said they would do it again.
Later in the evening, it was time for the highly anticipated exhibition basketball game between a BYU-Idaho intramural team and select men’s basketball team out of Provo. Students, employees, and community members packed the Hart Gymnasium for the white-out-themed game.
Chants and cheers from the crowd, fan cams, music, scholarship giveaways, and different performances made for a memorable night leading up to BYU-Idaho’s victory—with a final score of 96 to 79.
Students loved watching it—with one commenting that it was their favorite SnowFest activity, and another saying the game was the most fun event they had ever attended at BYU-Idaho.
The First of Many to Come
Student Activities Managing Director Allen Jones hoped that throughout Snowfest students grew a greater love for BYU-Idaho and the associations they have—feeling a stronger connection to the university and its community.
Along with Spirit Week and SpringFest, BYU-Idaho plans to make SnowFest an annual tradition, bringing students a fun week-long event every semester.