Winter Carnival 2016 logo courtesy Blue Key Honor Society.
HOUGHTON -- It’s Winter Carnival time! Student organizations at Michigan Technological University are perched on scaffolding under lights, working deep into the night on their gigantic snow statues, a month-long effort.
The theme this year is "As snow accumulates at alarming rates, we show our love for the 50 states." Statues are expected to reflect that theme.
Winter Carnival, sponsored by the Blue Key Honor Society,
officially starts on Wednesday, Feb. 3, and runs through Saturday, Feb. 6, although some activities have already begun, including ice bowling at the Dee Stadium and curling at the Calumet Drill House.
In ice bowling, students curl up in giant plastic shells, while other students hurl them across the ice at oversized duckpins. Curling, of course, has nothing to do with hair. It is the Scottish sport of heaving a round stone down a lane of ice while teammates sweep furiously ahead of the stone with brooms, to help direct its movement and increase its speed.
At 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, All-Nighter overnight statue building begins. The Alumni Association will serve hot chocolate from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Alumni House. Campus will be lit and lively all night, with karaoke from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and classic Winter Carnival snacks like chili and deep-fried Twinkies.
Thursday morning, Feb. 4, all statue building ends and judges make the rounds. with results announced later that afternoon. The raucous Beards Competition, with outrageous skits as well as impressive facial hair, is at 1 p.m. in Rm. 135 of Fisher Hall. A bit more sophisticated brand of humor is on tap at 7 p.m. in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts, with the Stage Review Show. The show features witty, elaborate skits centered on this year's Winter Carnival theme. Stand-up comedian Jeff Scheen is the emcee.
Winter Carnival Sports will feature Women's and Men's Basketball against Ferris State, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. respectively Thursday in the wood gym and Broomball from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the outdoor broomball courts on campus.
For music lovers, the Brothers of Mu Beta Psi are sponsoring a
Jazz Concert from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday at the Orpheum Theater in Hancock. The concert features Northern Standard Time and AstroSax with proceeds benefiting the John MacInnes Student Scholarship for students that have shown interest and participate in musical organizations at Michigan Tech. See the
Orpheum Theater facebook page for details.
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 5 and 6, will offer outdoor activities ranging from snow volleyball to horsedrawn sleigh rides to downhill skiing, snowboarding and more.
Click here for the full schedule.
Update: Parking on campus
- Lots 5, 9, and pay lot 27 will be open at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and will remain open through Sunday. You may park in these lots without a permit.
- Lot 11 will open at 4 p.m. on Friday and will remain open through Sunday.
- Overnight parking is in Lot 9 next to the Rozsa Center.
- All lots open Saturday - Sunday, with the exception of Resident Lots 4, 17, 17E, 10.
- Free parking at all metered areas begins Wednesday night.
The
Transportation Services shuttle will run according to the regular schedule, along with weekday hours extended to 10 p.m. A
Saturday shuttle will run from 1 p.m. - 10 p.m. Please note that the MTU shuttle buses are not equipped to handle children.
