Winter can often be the time of year that people dread the most, whether it’s because of the cold or because there is usually not as much to do. However, the city of Mount Pleasant is trying to make winter a more fun time for everyone.

An outdoor activity in Mount Pleasant is sledding at Mission Creek Woodland Park. There, students and community members can bring friends for a fun day outside. Royal Oak freshman Kyle Ashcraft has never been sledding at Mission Creek, but looks forward to going in the near future.

“I think it would be fun (to go sledding there) because I like sledding and the outdoors,” Ashcraft said.

Visiting downtown Mount Pleasant is a way for students to venture out and experience what Mount Pleasant has to offer. There are many different things to do such as shopping or eating. Saginaw freshman Maggie Hanley her first time downtown was spent eating dinner.

“The first time I went was on my birthday. My friends and I ate at Mountain Town Station,” she said. “I really liked it. I didn’t realize how pretty downtown was until I saw it covered in snow.”

Although the hockey arena is not located on campus, hockey games are still an option. Not only does the Central Michigan University team play at the I.C.E. arena, but so does the Mount Pleasant High School hockey team. The high school team will have a game at 7 p.m. on Jan. 27 at the I.C.E Arena.

California freshman Alyssa Tilk is majoring in business as a freshman; she has only been to the CMU games, but enjoys watching all sorts of hockey.

“My favorite part about the hockey games is the spirit of the crowd because it makes the experience even more enjoyable,” Tilk said.

The Painted Turtle is a painting studio in downtown Mount Pleasant where people can go and paint mugs, plates and vases. There is also the option to take clay classes, in which you could sculpt your own pieces.

Detroit senior Chuck Mahone made an Asian tea cup when he went with his girlfriend on Valentine's Day.

“I am still able to drink out of the cup I made (when I went to The Painted Turtle). It was an excellent experience and is a great way to spend time with friends. I made memories I will cherish until the day I die,” Mahone said.

A way to stay active this winter without having to be outside is the climbing wall and ropes course at Finch Fieldhouse. Trenton freshman Shelby Kohler went with her Leadership class.

"We had to be tethered to another person, and one of us was blind folded," Kohler said. "I was the one that was blind folded, and I thought it was fun. It was a fun teamwork activity."

On Feb. 10 the Central Michigan University Theatre program will put on two performances of “Mother Hicks” at Bush Theatre. Jim Hickerson, the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, said the theatre program is trying to broaden their audiences.

“The play will include American Sign Language interpretation and Closed Captioning. We are trying to get the word out to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, in addition to our normal audiences,” Hickerson said.

Bowling is a recreational activity that students often overlook, but is a great way to make connections. Holt freshman Nikki Corbin enjoyed a game of bowling with her cheerleading team.

“I went with my cheer team for team bonding. My favorite part was getting to know people better because I didn’t know most of my team, so it gave me a chance to talk to everyone,” Corbin said.

The CMU men’s basketball team will face Toledo on Feb. 16 at McGuirk Arena. Attending the basketball games is a great way to support CMU, spend time with friends, and stay entertained in the winter. Tecumseh freshman Ben Boettcher loves going to the games with all of his friends.

“I like it because of the the intense energy. Also, I think it’s funny how when a kid fouls out of the game, the student section counts his steps to the bench,” Boettcher said.

On Feb. 18 through the 20 will be the Triple Crown No Bull Snowmobile Races held at the Isabella County Fairgrounds. Anyone is welcome to go racing, even with little to no experience, such as Michael Richard, who is from Bloomfield and is a freshman.

“I haven’t been racing on snowmobiles, but I have been snowmobiling in general,” Richard said. “I would like to race though because I have been racing on dirt bikes."