Rogue snow sculptors save Winter Carnival tradition
Since the 1920s, there has been a snow sculpture every year other than 1943
In the freezing months of this term, Winter Carnival is a beacon of light and hope for many students. Winter Carnival began in 1910 as an organized weekend of winter sports competition. The next year, it shifted to focus on social events, as dances were planned and women from other schools were invited to attend.
In the early 1920s, the first snow sculpture was built in the middle of the green. The snow sculpture, coming in a variety of forms, has come to define Winter Carnival. Since the 1920s, Dartmouth has had a snow sculpture every winter carnival except for 1943, during World War Two.
Winter Carnival Snow Sculpture Courtesy of Boston Public Library
While this year may have looked like we were going sculpture-less due to unusually warm weather, Thomas Rover ’16 and a group of “rogue” snow sculptors pulled through the blisteringly cold night to save the tradition.
This year’s Cat in the Hat themed snow sculpture
Rover’s email reads, “Wedecided on the Cat in the Hat’s Hat, due to its relative ease of construction and appropriateness for the theme of this year’s Carnival.”
It took groups of volunteers to physically bring snow (by hand, car, trash can, anything) to the green in order to gather enough snow to even form the sculpture.
Community support was strong for the group of builders, with even a little late night snack being delivered around 2am.
While the sculpture may not stand up to past editions in terms of difficulty or design, building the sculpture is a defining characteristic of Winter Carnival. The fact that a group of Dartmouth students weren’t deterred by a warm winter, and then disgustingly cold conditions at the last minute, and pulled through to save the tradition speaks to the passion of this school.
We salute you and thank you for keeping the tradition alive.