Fire & Ice

New tradition, same Reserve spirit

With the boom of fireworks overhead, our campus was illuminated by the fun festivities of Fire & Ice.

The second installment of this new tradition, started last year by Head of School Suzanne Walker Buck, was a blast! The January cold was no match for the light and warmth of the gathered WRA community. So, what is Fire & Ice? Why light off fireworks on a freezing winter weekend?

For one thing, it is a celebration of Reserve. Fire & Ice embraces the snow and chilled temperatures that accompany Hudson at this time of year, and adds its own flair. Fire & Ice featured an ice sculpture shaped like the Chapel, Ellsworth Hall reimagined as an indoor ice skating rink, and College Street transformed into a street hockey haven. There was hot chocolate from the Lux Truck, a spectacular fireworks show (hence, the “fire”), and a hot-wing challenge featuring hot sauces courtesy of Greg Foster ’93, WRA’s very own spice master.

Foster holds Guinness World Records for consuming the most Carolina Reapers in 60 seconds (ouch!), so it’s no surprise that he started his own hot sauce company, Inferno Farms. After hearing about the hot-wing challenge for Fire & Ice, Foster cheerfully donated a selection of his “pride and joy.” Nine sauces arrived just in time for the event, with this friendly note: “It is my pleasure to lend a hand at helping melt the chill this time of year.” Sauces with names like “Green Monster,” “Where There’s Smoke” and the dreaded “Lava Drops” brought the heat in WRA’s take on the popular YouTube series Hot Ones, in which participants must answer spicy interview questions while battling increasingly hot chicken wings. The Bucks, Suzanne and Johnny, were good sports, fighting back tears as they endured sauce after sauce, each with increasing intensity. In times of cold and darkness, sometimes it takes just a little spark to ignite a lot of joy. The Student Life Office did a fantastic job planning the event and providing options for people of all ages to take part. Everything from the iced cookies to the fiery decorations added to the memorable experience. Fire & Ice, while symbolic in many ways, is also a perfect opportunity to just have some fun. Students, faculty and families came together for a night of memorymaking magic that will make Fire & Ice a lasting tradition for years to come. WINTER 2022 WRA 15