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Michigan Tech Lode History of Winter Carnival: Eighty-eight years of tradition The
January 28, 2010
Serving the Michigan Tech Community Since 1921
TARA SOTRIN Lode Writer
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he sight of university students, bundled in hats, jackets, and perhaps some cozy Carhartts building snowman, or the oddsnowwoman, is not an uncommon sight for many campuses across the Northern regions of the U.S. What turns heads about the traditional symbol of wintery weather in Houghton is that our university peers spend their time diligently shaping giant chess pieces, scrabble tiles, and maybe even a character from our favorite Mario games out of the snow and ice. When the weather is cold and the snow is deep, Michigan Tech students have always known that Carnival is right around the corner. The history of Winter Carnival spans almost eight decades and has evolved from a single night of carnival-esque revelry into the four-day institution that students look forward to and prepare for during their time at Michigan Tech. Winter Carnival began in 1922 as a one-night circus with students donning animal costumes rather than the multiple sweaters and long johns popular for Carnival today. An interesting aspect of Carnival history is its’ reflection of the American social climate. During both Economic Depression of the 1920’s and the War in the 1940’s and the Winter Carnival was post-poned. With its renewal in subsequent years new events were added to the venue. In times of prosperity such as the 80’s, comedians began performing at Carnival events. Look for Comedy Central’s John Oliver due to perform in the Rosza during this years Carnival. Snow statues weren’t added until 1936 and were originally a tradition shared with local school children. Most local residents and older Tech students,
Tribute to the Past: Highlighted in this photo are the brothers of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity working on monthlong statute. Photo courtesy of Blue Key Honor Fraternity Web site
witnesses to more than a few carnivals, have their memories of a favorite statue and peruse the frozen constructions like the seasoned veterans of a cold region that they are. Meanwhile, new Tech students wander through the statues snapping pictures doomed to overexposure and white-out the truly minute details that speak softly of the wellguarded secrets of the snow-statue experts. “My favorite was a life-size Gumby statue, the house that created him had dyed him green, so, of course you can’t use colors and so he wasn’t in the running,
but there was something about him…” laughs one professor, recalling a theme centered around children’s toys years ago. The themes for Winter Carnival are part of a contest held by the Blue Key Society, responsible for organizing the carnival since 1934. Beyond just the theme, winning rhymes of the contest are short and catchy suitable for producing the stickers, t-shirts, and sweatshirts available in the MTU Apparel stores. Another highlight of the festival, the Queens competition, began in 1928 with categories judging the women’s beauty as
Kappa Alpha Psi raise funds for Haiti Relief TARA SOTRIN Lode Writer
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he revival of the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. (KAΨ) Omicron Theta Chapter at Michigan Tech in 2009 has produced a sizable donation for the much-needed relief efforts in Haiti this past week. The MTU Kappa members met at Joey’s Seafood & Grill to participate in their fraternities national event “Dining with the Kappa’s” on Jan. 27, 2010. From 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. a percentage of Joey’s customers’ bills went to the International Kappa Action Relief Effort (iKare) and all of the proceeds gathered at the national chapter went to various aide organizations in Haiti. The men of MTU’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi were there at 7:00 p.m. to enjoy their meals and send a little more help to the Haitian earthquake survivors; people who need it the most. While the MTU Kappa’s enjoyed their seafood, current members of the KAΨ and alum-
ni from all over the U.S. gathered 100 million dollars in emersupport from diners at their local gency aide. Much of the counrestaurants as well. Donators to tries’ infrastructure was dethe cause brought in flyers print- stroyed, but the biggest blow ed from the national website or to Haiti has been the oversocial networking sites such as whelming deaths of so many Facebook and restaurant owners of its citizens. In this moment transferred the earnings from the of terrible international need, donator’s meals to the IKARE the Kappa’s organization has cause. 100 pershown their cent of the prodedication to ceeds from the the KAΨ. fraternational event nities’ core valare being transues of service to ferred to aide others and comorganizations in mitment to betHaiti. Fraternity tering the world members can we live in. “We then contact the have five main national chapter objectives that and trace their our fraternity is donation to the photo coutesy of flickr.com based on,” says receiving organiPerry, a fifthzations. year Mechanical Engineering “With what’s going on over student at Tech, “[two are that there [in Haiti], you know they we] are here to serve the comneed our help right now” says munity and give back.” Perry Wilson, president of the The MTU chapter of the MTU Kappa’s. The 7.0 magni- Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity tude earthquake that hit Haiti on started in 2000 but has sufJan. 12, 2010 has created a trag- fered from a flux in memberedy that has transfixed much of ship since then. continued at the nation and garnered almost www.mtulode.com/news
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well as their ice-skating and skiing abilities. On the opposite side of the chromosome, Beards—the manly competition that leaves a portion of the Michigan Tech male population with the most puzzling aspiration for absurd facial hair—began in 1947. Other highlights of past Carnivals include 1959 when two buses brought fifty-two women to Michigan Tech for the first Snoball, a tradition enjoyed today by many Michigan Tech women and, 1966, when Michigan Tech snowballs were donated to Southwest Texas State Univer-
sity for their own campus-wide snowball fight. The 60’s also saw the premiere of Broomball in Winter Carnival—though the first games were played with a volleyball. Michigan Tech students know that this tradition is more than just the secrets of snow statue construction and broomball techniques, though still all parts of Michigan Tech history, Winter Carnival is about celebrating being a part of a special University in a unique place. Winter Carnival challenges the idea that living somewhere cold means you can’t enjoy the beautiful weather.
Sigma Tau Gamma hosts Pancake Breakfast and Grundy Run CRYSTAL HIGGINBOTHAM News Editor
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n Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 the brothers of Sigma Tau Gamma will be host their annual Grundy Run. They will start running from the Wadsworth Hall lobby through campus to the Sigma Tau Gamma house in order to raise money for the local BigBrother /Big Sister chapter. Aside from collecting regular donations, the brothers will also conduct a ‘sponsorship’ program where individuals, student organizations, or businesses can sponsor a brother during the run. It is $3 dollars for an individual, $5 dollars for a student organization, and $10 dollars for a business to sponsor a brother. In addition to the Grundy Run, the brothers of Sigma Tau Gamma will also host a pancake breakfast Saturday Feb. 6, 2010 from 10am-2p.m. at St. Albert
the Great University Parish located at 411 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, MI 49931. Tickets are $5 dollars for adults and $3 dollars for children under the age of 13. The brothers of Sigma Tau Gamma will be selling tickets up to the day of the event at the door. No price inflation will occur. To purchase tickets in advance, view below the following dates, times, and location the tickets will be sold. Thursday, Jan. 28 from 3:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. in Wadsworth Hall; Friday, Jan. 29 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in Fisher Hall; Monday, Feb. 1 from 10:00 am2:00 p.m. in Fisher Hall; Tuesday, Feb. 2 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in Fisher Hall. For information about the events or Big Brothers/Big Sisters, contact Marc Starnes at mastarne@mtu.edu or the director of the local chapter of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Maggie Munch, at bethechange.mm@ gmail.com.
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