Frankenstein Reigns in Winter Carnival Statue Competition

Alpha Gamma Delta's icy interpretation of Frankenstein's laboratory grabbed first place in the women's group category of Michigan Tech's Winter Carnival snow statue contest, sponsored by Blue Key Honor Fraternity.

The elaborate scene, "Frankenstein's Creature From Long Ago Comes Alive Again in Snow," is located in front of the Walker Arts and Humanities Center on Michigan Tech's campus. It reflects the spirited theme of this year's event—"Frightful Creatures with Chilling Features."

The magic is in the details of this winning sculpture, which depicts the awakening of Frankenstein's creature in a lab adorned with bottles of chemicals crafted from pure ice. And one can't forget Igor, who can be found in the corner sweeping unused "parts" from the floor.

Second place in the women's group division was given to Alpha Sigma Tau for their panoramic creation of Max and the "wild things" gallivanting through the magical forest (from the children's book "Where the Wild Things Are"), entitled "In the Chilly Forest of His Dreams Max Rules as King of the Wild Things." Delta Zeta scored the bronze for their well-detailed Wizard of Oz scene, "As Four Friends Skip Around, the Wicked Witch Tracks Them Down"—flying monkeys included.

In the student organization division, Army ROTC grabbed first place honors for their chilly King Kong rendition, "An Icy Fight Proves King Kong's Might." Located in front of the ROTC Building on Michigan Tech's campus, the sculpture portrays a muscled Kong (sporting far better than six-pack abs) as he forces down his T-Rex nemesis on Skull Island.

Second place honors went to Air Force ROTC for their sculpture, "Yukon Cornelius Searches for Silver and Gold, Instead Finds Abominable Bumble in the Cold," a scarily hilarious depiction of "Bumbles," the abominable snowman from the classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movies. Inter-Christian Council nabbed a third place win for their ten foot-tall Goliath and accompanying mountainside creation, "Facing the Giant by Faith Alone, David Conquered Goliath with a Sling and Stone."

Finally, in the highly competitive fraternity division, Phi Kappa Tau brought home the gold for their expansive scene, "Van Helsing Calms the Hysteria in Transylvania." It is located in front of their house at 1209 W. Quincy St. in Hancock. Also collecting high honors: Delta Sigma Phi, in second place for the grand-scale "Nightmares Consume a Child's Room," and Tau Kappa Epsilon in third for their light-hearted Ghostbusters-themed creation, "Ice Ain't Afraid of No Ghost."

Other winners in the month-long competition were Mama's Boys (first), FYE (second), and Healthy Living House (third), in residence halls. Winners in the one-nighter statue competitions included Purgatory (first), The Bastille (second), and 3rd Floor East McNair (third), in the University housing category; Mu Beta Psi (first), St. Albert the Great, (second), and Circle K (third), in the on-campus category; and Portage Health (first) and Concordia Lutheran Student Center (second) in the off-campus category.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.