Updated on Mar. 13, 2019 at 5:01 p.m.
Warm weather greeted the College as it celebrated Winter Carnival over the weekend. Three arrests were made over Winter Carnival, according to Hanover Police lieutenant Scott Rathburn. Rathburn said that these incidents were “not out of the realm of ordinary.” Last year, Hanover Police also made three arrests over Winter Carnival.
This year’s Winter Carnival, titled “Ice Age: 250 Years of Winter” and coinciding with the College’s 250th anniversary, was considered “one of the least wintery Winter Carnivals” in Dartmouth history, according to Winter Carnival Council co-chair Colton Wagner ’21.
According to Rathburn, between Thursday evening at 5 p.m. and Sunday morning at 9 a.m., one Dartmouth student was arrested for intoxication and two non-Dartmouth students were arrested for parking violations outside of Leverone Field House.
Interim Safety and Security director Keysi Montás wrote in an email statement that due to the icy weather conditions, there were five medical injuries reported that did not require transportation and six medical-related transports to the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Montás further wrote that four students were admitted to Dick's House overnight for alcohol-related incidents and five students were transported to the DHMC for alcohol-related reasons. Between midnight on Thursday and early Monday morning, there were two theft reports, two property damage reports, one disorderly conduct report and one motor vehicle accident, according to the statement from Montás.
Director of student involvement Anna Hall wrote in an email statement that this year’s Winter Carnival saw high participation from students. She wrote that approximately 600 students participated in the Polar Bear Swim and 23 teams competed in the annual Winter Carnival ice sculpture contest.
“Despite some concerns last week because of challenging and changing weather conditions, all events were able to be held,” Hall wrote.
According to Wagner, the ice sculptures were moved from the Green to the sidewalk in front of McNutt and Robinson Halls to accommodate the warm weather. He added that the change in the ice sculptures’ location increased access for students to appreciate them.
“Because the Green was so slushy, we ended up having to move [the ice sculptures] in front of the lawns,” Wagner said. “It’s kind of nice because they line up along the central buildings and people could use the sidewalk to see them all.”
One event new to this year’s Winter Carnival was the acorn scavenger hunt. The Winter Carnival Council hid plastic acorns around campus and students who found them could redeem them for prizes, including gift cards, Winter Carnival merchandise and even a pair of Apple AirPods. Wagner said that despite the activity’s originality and good reception among students, it will need more advertisement in the future to increase its popularity.
Hall wrote that the opening ceremony, which she said was a highlight this year, featured a series of events such as a welcome speech by earth sciences professor Meredith Kelly and performances by the Dartmouth Chamber Orchestra and the Dog Day Players.
Wagner added that a video showcasing Winter Carnivals from past to present was played at the opening ceremony. He said that the Winter Carnival Council wanted this year’s event to focus on the past and to “encapsulate the idea of the tradition of Winter Carnival more so than other years just because it is our 250th [anniversary] year.”
