With or without snow, this year's Winter Carnival will kick off on Thursday, Feb. 9 with ski races and the traditional opening ceremonies.
This year's theme is "Call of the Wild," and despite the lack of snow, the Carnival Council and the Programming Board have been busy planning an activity-filled weekend.
Events range from the traditional opening ceremonies to slalom races on the Dartmouth Skiway.
The Carnival Council, co-chaired by Tamara Busch '95 and Timothy Chow '96 has been working on building the sculpture, creating t-shirts and posters and planning the opening ceremonies.
"We always try to select a theme that gets the most campus excitement," Busch said.
Dartmouth's Winter Carnival is the nation's oldest collegiate weekend and has been an annual tradition in Hanover since 1911.
According to Programming Coordinator Linda Kennedy, Dartmouth students have participated in activities such as the ski races, opening ceremonies and a formal since the first few Carnivals.
The Carnival begins on Thursday with the Citizen's Classic Cross Country Nordic ski race and a dance in Collis Common Ground.
The weekend will officially start Thursday at 7:00 p.m. with the traditional opening ceremonies and the torchlit parade held on the Green.
Speakers will include Acting College President James Wright and various athletic team captains. Four singing groups are also expected to perform.
Events for Friday include slalom and Nordic ski races, films, athletic events and Eleazar's Comedy club. The night will end with the "Winter Whingding" at which several of Dartmouth's a cappella groups will be performing.
Saturday's activities will continue with more ski races, athletic events, sleigh rides on the Green and a performance by the Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble in Spaulding Auditorium.
The night will culminate with the Carnival formal.
More than 600 students went to last year's dance, and Kennedy predicts this year's will be "really fabulous."
Although several of the events such as the ski races and the snow sculpture have been jeopardized by the lack of snow, Kennedy said this year's Carnival is still expected to be a success.
"I think it's going to be a better Winter Carnival than ever," Kennedy said.
"Hopefully we'll have a few good snowstorms before the weekend. We still have time to hope," Busch said.
