From broomball to winter carnival; various activities to look forward to
Spring semester at Tech holds many anticipated annual events, along with lots and lots of snow. Huskies look forward to broomball games, and Spring Fling events, and Winter Carnival experiences, which are distinct to spring semester.
Broomball games begin the second week of January to start the spring semester off strong. For those who don’t know, broomball is a sport similar to floor hockey, except the game is played on ice. The goal of the game is to make the most goals in an allotted amount of time, consisting of f two 15-minute periods and a one-minute halftime intermission. At Tech, broomball games are held at ice rinks on Walker Lawn, next to the iconic Cocoa Shack where students can enjoy a free cup of hot cocoa. For more information about broomball rules, game times, and the Cocoa Shack, visit the IRHC (Michigan Tech Inter-Residence Housing Council) website at broomball.mtu.edu.
Up next on the spring semester roster is the famous Michigan Tech Winter Carnival. The annual event is to be held February 8-11, including a break in classes, a broomball tournament, and an anticipated ice sculpture building competition. The theme for the upcoming Winter Carnival is “Wintry Moods”, which is the category for which the ice sculptures must be made. The competition consists of several categories, the main two including month-long sculptures and night-long sculptures. All sculptures are ranked by a team of community members the morning after the night-long sculptures are made. Along with the sculpture building, students enjoy a three day recess during which the activities take place. As previously mentioned, a broomball tournament will be held during the recess in which star players from each team compete for the glory of a tournament win. For more information about Winter Carnival 2023, visit mtu.edu/winter-carnival.
To cap off the spring semester, Spring Fling takes place the week before finals. Students end the academic year by enjoying food and entertainment provided by many student organizations on campus. Organizations aim to recruit new members for the upcoming year, while students have a chance to have fun before the final exam season. For more information about Spring Fling, visit mtu.edu/student-leadership/traditions/spring-fling.
After Huskies celebrate the end of their finals, the annual Spring Commencement takes place. This is the largest commencement ceremony of the year, and celebrates the graduation of over 950 students. The Graduate commencement takes place on Friday, April 28, and the Undergraduate commencement takes place on Saturday, April 29.
Besides these events, there are also a fair amount of breaks during the upcoming semester. Monday, Jan. 16 marks the first recess for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Winter Carnival recess is a few weeks later and runs from February 8 to Feb. 13. Finally, the beloved Spring Break is a week long recess starting March 3 and ending March 13.
Here at Tech, we have a lot to look forward to in the next four months. Much-needed recesses, broomball games, Winter Carnival festivities, and Spring Fling activities are just the tip of the iceberg.
Note: This is a re-published article. It originally appeared in the Dec. 1 issue of The Lode.
