Winter Carnival already had a cancelled broomball season and virtual events stacked against it, but the winter storms throughout the weekend made walking outside difficult. There were a slew of online events, with a few physical ones, to help keep the festivities fun.
The All-Nighter felt surreal seeing everyone masked. However, no one seemed brutally defeated as they hung out and worked on sculptures. The Memorial Union Board held free karaoke for students to partake in, along with the Audio Department and the radio station WMTU hosting small dance parties. Their speaker setups were built from the snow, fitting the carnival atmosphere.
The Tug of War took place Saturday at 10 a.m. amongst the flurries of snowflakes. Teams competing there faced wind chills close to -13 degrees Fahrenheit. I stood there watching as they huddled and pulled together. Other physical events took place off campus at Mont Ripley or in Calumet. As someone without a car, I found it difficult to keep up with these events. A majority of students up here also share that struggle, so the events taking place on campus physically were even more limited.
This year’s sculptures were incredible, as always. Walking down College Avenue and on campus, I saw all sorts of amazing sculptures. The theme was cartoon shows, so the likes of SpongeBob, Futurama, Looney Tunes, Phineas and Ferb, and other childhood nostalgia figures populated the grounds. Because this weekend had been filled with almost non-stop winds and snow, there wasn’t a best time to go out without experiencing face-numbing winds. Nonetheless, I loved the sculpting of details that make these stand out. For example, the Phineas and Ferb collaboration between Delta Zeta and Delta Phi Epsilon showed detail in the roller coaster girders and the windows of Doofenschmirtz Evil Incorporated. The ice sculptures of Phineas and Ferb were phenomenal with their geometric abnormalities captured well. If one were able to trek through the blizzards (and the continued ongoing ones), they’d be rewarded with craftsmanship from our Tech community.
Winter Carnival this year was certainly different, as I’ve been beating that into the ground. However, it’s important to acknowledge how these traditions should be kept, modified, or removed to fit current needs. Right now, it’s important for our school to stay as healthy as possible, even if it meant a limited Winter Carnival this year.
