(U-WIRE) KENT, Ohio – Soon there may be fewer cafeteria trays in the dining halls.

As winter approaches, many students are eager to get outside for a tradition of sledding on trays.

Security Manager Kimberly Macon said sledding on trays is not as prevalent as it used to be.

“People used to go sledding on trays a lot; they called it traying,” Macon said. “It hasn’t been a problem for the last few years. It might just be the weather or something, but people just aren’t doing it as much as they used to.”

Lindsey Davis, sophomore early childhood education major, said she went sledding with her friends last year by the May 4 Memorial and the Auditorium.

“We kind of stole trays from Eastway,” Davis said. “It was for a good cause. It was obvious that we weren’t the only ones doing it.”

She said sledding on campus was a convenient way to pass some time with her friends when the weather was bad, and there weren’t many other options.

“We didn’t have to travel far,” Davis said. “It was something different to do, and it was really fun.”

Davis said her favorite place to go was by the auditorium where there is a steeper hill. She said the best time to go sledding is when the snow is still fresh, and there is one major downside to showing up late.

“It was really icy from everyone else sledding,” she said. “It kind of hurt to fall off, but I would say it was a pretty good place (to sled).”

Snow can bring more winter sports to campus than just sledding. Andy Otter, junior justice studies major, said he sometimes brings his snowboard to campus.

“I’m keeping (snowboarding on campus) on the down-low,” Otter said. “Then you get a lot of people riding one rail or riding one jump.”

Otter has been snowboarding since eighth grade, and he has worked up to doing tricks, which is what he often does on campus. He tries to be discreet about riding on campus, though.

“I don’t like people standing around watching me ride, especially if I am trying to learn something new,” he said. “It’s not just here, it’s anywhere I go.”

-Kelly Mills