With the inspiration for the sculpture in the center of the Green stemming from this year's Winter Carnival theme, "The Roaring -20s," Winter Carnival themes in recent years have been the guiding light for its statues, posters and events.
But the impact of the theme -- chosen as early as Fall term by the Winter Carnival Committee -- upon Carnival spirit and activities has waxed and waned since the inception of Carnival in 1910.
The choice of theme did not gain true distinction for a number of years. Until 1935, posters, sculptures and events focused on the winter sports Dartmouth students enjoyed.
The 1935 Winter Carnival saw the festival's first theme, "Joten heim dskarneval," a celebration of the traditional Scandinavian Carnivals on which Dartmouth based the Carnival.
The following year, the 1936 "Outing Club Snow Fest" had the theme "Schneeweissen," the German title of the Grimm brothers' childhood classic "Snow White."
The Carnival featured a humorous skit woven around the fairy tale and performed on the hills of the golf course. The skit's second act included a figure skating exhibition by Polly Blodgett, then Junior Figure Skating Champion.
That year, President Ernest Hopkin's daughter, Ann Hopkins, was selected as Carnival Queen by students unaware of her identity and presented to the crowd as Schneeweissen neared its completion.
"As far as I'm concerned it's the most successful Carnival I have ever seen," Mrs. Hopkins said after her daughter was chosen queen.
The strength of Winter Carnival themes faded during WWII, when The Dartmouth described Carnival as a "small affair."
The tradition reemerged briefly in 1949 with a Mardi Gras theme and a Jack-in-the-Box springing from a shoe.
Due to the intense popularity of 1952's Winter Carnival, the students adopted the unofficial theme, "TGTG: Thank God They're Gone."
Until the advent of the coeducation however, Carnival themes declined in importance throughout the 50s and 60s.
In the 70s, themes once again gained status as an integral part of the Carnival. The Winter Carnival Committee was responsible for choosing a theme it felt best epitomized Carnival from a pool of as many as 100 student entries.
In 1972 their choice was "The Winterland of Oz." The celebration featured an ice and snow Emerald City, including slides and stairs to climb.
The events featured a showing of the classic film "The Wizard of Oz" in Spaulding Auditorium.
1974's Carnival was "The Winterful World of Disney." In keeping with the theme, proposed by Thomas Rileggar '76, a snow sculpture of Mickey exercising his magic was constructed in the center of the Green.
A burst of patriotism inspired the Carnival "A Snow Spangled Salute" in 1976. The Winter Carnival poster featured Mt. Rushmore and a student-built Statue of Liberty snow sculpture.
1978's theme was "The Greatest Snow on Earth," and 1979's Carnival, "The Great Cold Rush," featured a snow statue of a man panning for gold.
Ideas for themes came from numerous influences. The location of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid inspired the "Dartmouth Games: Winter Takes All" Carnival in 1980.
In a tribute to one of the Colleges most famed alums, Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel '25), the theme "Hanover Hears a Who' was chosen in 1981.
"I am very flattered by the whole celebration," Dr. Seuss told The Dartmouth in an interview after the selection of the Carnival's theme. "I only wish I could be there."
The Dr. Seuss theme appeared again in 1992 with the "How the Grinch Stole Carnival" Winter Carnival theme.
1981's snow statue was changed at the last minute from a construction of Seuss's Who-Ville to the Cat in the hat riding in a golf cart.
The Carnival saw a decline in the number of suggested themes students submitted in 1982 when compared to the numbers suggested in the 70s. From the 50 themes proposed by students that year, the Winter Carnival Committee chose the "Adventures on the High Freeze Winter Carnival."
Winter Carnival returned to its roots in 1990 with the theme, "It's Going to be a Grimm Winter" Carnival.
In 1994, the "When Hanover Freezes Over ... All Carnival Breaks Loose" Carnival featured a sculpture of an abominable snowman reaching out and breaking away from a pile of books.
With a Carnival theme stemming from an expression that included the word "hell," the College's Winter Carnival Council had to exercise restraint in choosing that year's snow sculpture and poster.
"Originally we had devil-like thoughts," said Snow Sculpture Chair Artie Zwiel '94, but Linda Kennedy, then Coordinator of Student Programs, "warned us against it."
The theme "Call of the Wild" in 1995 was inspired by an idea for a wolf snow sculpture.
The 1997 theme "'Twas a Cold and Snowy Knight: A Medieval Carnival," inspired a doomed snow sculpture of a knight slaying a dragon.
