Due to a lack of snow and dangerous, icy conditions, the snow sculpture contest, Carni Classic and human dog sled race have been canceled for this weekend's Winter Carnival, according to Winter Carnival Council co-chair Mandy Bowers '14.
The Polar Bear Swim will still take place barring warm temperatures at night, which are unlikely based on current temperature forecasts.
Occom Pond is evaluated on a daily basis and a final decision regarding the Polar Bear Swim will be announced Friday morning, Eric Ramsey, director of the Collis Center and advisor to the Winter Carnival Council, said in an email to The Dartmouth.
The decision to cancel three Winter Carnival events was made on Wednesday afternoon following a meeting with members from leadership groups including Programming Board, the Collis Center, the Office of Alumni Relations, the Office of Residential Life, Safety and Security and the Office of Facilities, Operations and Management, according to Bowers.
"We held out in making final decisions on hosting these events until the last possible moment," Ramsey said.
The lack of snow on the golf course made the cancellation of the Carni Classic, a three-kilometer ski race open to all members of the Dartmouth community, a "no-brainer," Bowers said. The combination of ice and minimal snow on the Green created a dangerous environment for the human dog sled race and unfavorable conditions for the snow sculpture contest.
"There was nothing we could really do," Bowers said.
Bowers said she thought about possible cancellations as early as December, when she received an email forecasting warm winter weather conditions.
"The point that it became a reality was 10 days ago when we saw the 10-day forecast," Bowers said.
In addition to the cancellation of the three events, cross-country ski races have been moved to Stowe, Vt.
Molly Chodakewitz '15, who planned to participate in the human dog sled race with residents on her floor, said she was disappointed by the cancellation.
"It's one of those fun things we could do together, and I was looking forward to it," she said.
Aditi Kirtikar '15, a member of the human dog sled race committee, said the group had already purchased prizes for the competition.
Bowers said prizes that were meant for cancelled events will be awarded to winners of other carnival events, such as the gingerbread house building event, which corresponds to the Carnival's "Candyland" theme.
Students interviewed by The Dartmouth said the cancellation of the three popular events could attract students to those events that are less frequently attended.
"It might let people see what else is going on at the Carnival," Amanda Zieselman '15 said.
Stephanie Crocker '12, a Nordic skier, said she believes the cancellation will not have a large impact on overall student participation numbers, as only a small percentage of the student population actually competes in these events.
"People enjoy Winter Carnival just for the break from class, to getting out, relaxing and hanging out with friends," Crocker said.
While students expressed disappointment upon hearing of the cancellations, most were not surprised.
"It's definitely too bad because the dog sled race and the sculptures are certainly a highlight of Winter Carnival, but at the same time we haven't really had a winter, so it's very understandable," Chris Pullerits '15 said.
Bowers said she hopes the changes to the weekend's schedule will not affect the overall morale of the weekend.
"We're certainly doing the best we can to increase turnouts in the events we have left," Bowers said. "I think that everyone will still be excited about the weekend."
Marina Shkuratov contributed reporting to this article.
