Campus members and visitors alike owe their exciting adventures this weekend to the careful planning of the Winter Carnival Council.
Co-chair of the Council Tim Chow '96 said the responsibilities of the council are numerous.
One of the main jobs of the Council is to create a theme for the weekend.
The Council throws out ideas for the theme nine months in advance, and the "chosen theme is one which the chairs support and gets the best consensus within the Council," Chow said.
Other activities include Carnival merchandising, building the snow sculpture, advertising Carnival events, judging sculpture-building contests sponsored by Greek houses or dorms and planning and hosting the opening ceremonies with fireworks, he said.
The Council also arranges specific events for the weekend, such as sleigh rides on the Green and a polar bear swim meet on Saturday at noon on Occum Pond.
The activities of the Council also reflect the traditional aspect of the weekend.
"Much of the lore that is passed on from one class to the next has to do with the technical aspects of building the sculpture, choosing and marketing merchandise, and working with the administration," said Linda Kennedy, Programming Coordinator.
"Other key parts of their job include motivating large and small numbers of people and getting the jobs done while having fun," she said.
The Council is made up of undergraduates from all classes. Students can join by coming to the sculpture building or to one of the weekly meetings, Chow said.
"I think the Council is a group of people from all over campus who love winter and through their work on the sculpture meets lots of new people and make friends," Kennedy said.
"Things have worked out beautifully with the Council," Chow said. We "couldn't have asked for better cooperation or more willing people to contribute their time."
Tamara Busch '95 is the other Council co-chair.
