Winter Carnival: A Frigid Place Gets a Blast from Space

Michigan Tech's Winter Carnival recess starts officially Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 10 pm By then, however, students will be well into the All Nighter, that bone-chilling marathon ordeal before the judges begin evaluating their snow statues Thursday morning. The theme this year: "A Frigid Place Gets a Blast from Space."

Carnival events, sponsored by the Blue Key Honor Society, have been heating up over the last few days, with curling at the historic Drill House in Calumet, broomball at rinks throughout campus and ice bowling at Dee Stadium. To learn more, visit www.mtu.edu/carnival/.

Want to check out some of the excitement?

Ice Bowling
Its name does not do this quirky event justice. Opposing teams compete by flinging fellow team-members across the ice into an array of pins. The final games are set for 9:30 pm Tuesday, Feb. 3, at Dee Stadium in downtown Houghton, near the waterfront.

Snow Volleyball
A match is scheduled for 10 am Friday, Feb. 6 in the practice fields behind the SDC. Others were held Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1. The balls are yellow, the better to see in the snow, and you won't see anyone in beach gear.

All-nighter Statue Competition
Starts at 4 pm Wednesday, Feb. 4. Winds up at 8 am Thursday, Feb. 5

Statue Judging
Begins at 9 am Thursday, Feb. 5.

Beards Competition
Fuzzy faces galore show up at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, in Fisher 135.

Stage Revue
Amateur theatrics on the Rozsa Center stage Thursday, Feb. 5, with performances at 5 (family friendly) and 9 p.m. (you might want to leave the kids at home for this one).

Yooper Sprints
Snowshoe races at 11 am Friday, Feb. 6, at the SDC practice fields.

Torchlight Parade
Skiers bear lights down the slopes of Mont Ripley at 8:30 pm Saturday, Feb. 7.

Fireworks
At 8:45 pm, Saturday, Feb. 7, at Mont Ripley.

The Sno-Ball
Kick up your heels and be merry starting at 9 pm Saturday, Feb. 7, in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Classes resume on Monday, February 9.

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.