Emma Kelsey – Staff Writer

Ice. Blades. Scoreboards. Pucks flying. Buzzers buzzing. Crowds cheering. Just some of the things a group of Gusties will be witnessing.
On Thursday November 18, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) will be taking Gusties to the Minnesota Wild hockey game. The game will be taking place at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, and students will see first-hand the face off between the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars. Students pay $15 dollars a ticket, and can take the Coach bus rented by CAB for transportation to the event.
Hockey is a staple form of entertainment among Minnesota residents and with 50 tickets available for students, a good amount of Gusties will be able to experience it in person – ice, blades, scoreboards and all.
According to the CAB Operations Manager, senior Rachel Jacobsen, the CAB recreation position has in the past typically offered students opportunities to attend professional sporting events. Sports are a valued form of entertainment here at Gustavus. However, because of the pandemic in the past couple of years, they have been unable to give students such opportunities. With sports opening back up, Gustavus finally has a chance to take a group of students to see this captivating event in-person.
“The goal of this event is to offer the possibility for students to attend an event that they typically might not be able to attend, whether because of price, availability or knowledge of the option.”

“Another goal is to offer a chance for students to get to know others that have a similar interest in this experience,” Jacobsen said.
It is the hope of Jacobsen and the CAB that this event offers a chance for students to enjoy themselves, have new experiences, gather with fellow Gusties, and make important memories during their time here at Gustavus. While CAB hosts an array of other events here on campus, they wanted to make sure to provide some other opportunities for students.
“We know that there are many events that students can typically attend on-campus almost everyday, but this chance allows for students to interact in a new venue with a different type of event,” Jacobsen said.
Junior Heather Beumer, CAB’s Recreation Executive, expressed the reasons for her decision to plan the event. Her main concerns seemingly include student wellbeing and student mental and emotional health as Gusties plough through the final half of the fall semester.
“I decided to plan this event to allow students to get off-campus and have some fun along with providing a mental break from classes since we are nearing the end of the semester… Minnesota is known for their love for hockey so I thought it would be perfect,” Buemer said.

She also explained that Minnesota Wild tickets are particularly expensive, and she hoped this event would give students the opportunity to attend at a cheaper rate.
Jacobsen elaborated on CAB’s choice of the event. “Our choice of taking students to a hockey game was mainly based on the fact that Minnesota is known as the “State of Hockey”. We thought that since we host a variety of students on this campus, from various states, and countries, we could offer this piece of our culture to them.” So this event may be not only a fun night for students, but also a learning experience.
According to the Campus Activities Board page on the Gustavus website, “It is our duty to plan and execute a variety of programs and activities, being sure to satisfy the entertainment needs of the student body. With student input, we hope to provide the community with a vast array of entertainment opportunities.” CAB reaches for this goal with each of their events, including this upcoming night when students will watch players skate around fighting for a disk of hard rubber in the frigidly cold arena.
Gusties will be cheering for a Wild win this Thursday night as they experience the Minnesota hockey spirit. Buemer put it best in her wishes for the event: “I obviously hope that the Wild win but also that the students have fun, meet new people, and have a unique experience that they won’t forget!”, Jacobsen said.