Theme-picking is never an easy task. Winter Carnival is no exception; choosing a theme for such a nebulously defined festival is especially tricky.
This year's theme, "Down the Rabbit Hole", references the first chapter of Lewis Carroll's iconic "Alice in Wonderland." The obvious psychedelic underpinnings of the novel got me thinking about the true nature of Winter Carnival and its function.
The entire idea of the "carnivalesque" revolves around social inversion and pageantry. Is there anything "trippy" or absurd about this weekend? The sad reality is that unless you're a real go-getter, there's very little carnivalesque about Winter Carnival. They say one comes out a psychedelic drug trip with an expanded sense of reality, but one comes out of Carnival knowing decidedly less than before.
There's an odd lack of cohesion to students' celebration of Carnival, though not for lack of effort on the part of the planners.
The official schedule of events is both well-contrived and detailed, yet I have to wonder how many of us can see this weekend as anything more than an opportunity for unmitigated alcohol consumption. Let's face it: by this point, midterms have effectively beaten any remaining sense of wonder or childlike joy out of our under-slept bodies and overworked psyches.
We're too tired to take part in fanciful celebrations, and irresponsible drinking provides stress release while conveniently requiring very little energy.
The snow sculpture? Right, great, fantastic, I think I saw people working on it at 5 a.m. when I finally managed to leave the 1902 room on Tuesday night. Though to be fair, I couldn't really see that well through all the bitterness.
Regardless, while the 2007 Winter Carnival might not live up to the consciousness-expanding, subversive connotations of its name, you should probably take the time to attend some non-basement events.
Unless you make an effort to explore and do something out of the ordinary, the weekend will ultimately resemble an extended Wednesday night, not the "Mardi Gras of the North" that it once was and should be again.
