Too often, the idea of Arizona is mixed with thoughts of Saguaro Cactus, desert wilderness, and unending extreme heat. Although these exist, Arizona has so much more to offer to residents, visitors, and students. In fact, the winter in Phoenix metropolitan has come with a rush of cold air leaving frost-covered windows for vehicles and the need for layering of clothing combined with gloves, hats, and coats to keep warm. The beauty of the mountains combined with the vastness of the valleys makes Arizona a diverse region blossoming with just as much variety in daily activities.

To this point, LDI celebrated winter in the most appropriate ways: ice skating and sledding. Students experienced the true difficulty of learning how hard it is to glide along ice on single blades in conjunction with the joyous and often misadventures in sledding. As we know, building community exists in life through academic, career, and social endeavors. Indeed, interacting with each other through these merry activities melted the bite of the wintry cold and warmed the spirit of all involved.