As we climbed to the top of Baker Tower to take the cover picture for this year's Winter Carnival issue, a new perspective of the snow-covered Upper Valley became evident. Below us, students scurried to and from classes as the sun shone warmly over campus for the first time in weeks. Much about Winter Carnival has changed over its 93-year history, yet this year has seen the revival of a tradition that had faltered during the tenure of current students at the College -- the colossal snow sculpture. And the success of Gandalf has not been the only result of student activism on campus in the recent months. Throughout December, students mobilized to protest the elimination of the swimming and diving teams, eventually securing the programs' reinstatement.
Activism aside, Dartmouth has and always will remain a special, peerless place. The days of Carnival allow us an opportunity to celebrate winter as we could only have found in Hanover. By jumping into a chilly Occom Pond, competing with other residence halls and Greek houses over the best snow sculpture or skiing with friends, we all have our own ways of reveling. So this weekend, put down your books and go outside. The party is yours to enjoy.
