This afternoon at one, human drawn sled chariots will streak across Occom Pond while students hop across the golf course in potato sacks, each attempting to capture the elusive gold in the 1994 Dartmouth Winter Games.
The games are sponsored by the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council and the Outing Club.
The Winter Games is a relay event pitting teams of eight people. Teams are composed of CFS houses, dorms and Affinity houses.
In the first event, two people must run up freshman hill carrying a sled,and then sled down. At the bottom, one member carries the sled across Occom Pond for the third event, and the other runs to tag a team member for the second event.
The second event is a one-person potato sack race. The race is from the bottom of freshman hill to the edge of the golf course, where the racer hops out of the sack and sprints to the pond.
The sled from the first event becomes a human chariot for the third. While the sack race is on, team members will be constructing crude chariots from their sleds and rope.
Two members pull the sled while the third rides for one lap around the pond. Then one member runs to the edge of the golf course to make the tag which starts the final event.
The fourth event is a one person snow-shoe race from the edge of the golf course to the finish line.
Teams will compete for a variety of prizes, including a six foot Subway sub, pizza from C and A's, free cabin rental from the DOC, a Vermonster from Ben and Jerry's and t-shirts from Gnomon Copy.
The prizes were donated in exchange for publicity on posters advertising the event, according to April Whitescarver '94, CFSC Social Chair.
The event was initiated by the CFSC in an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of Carnivals past and involve the CFSC in events that are not solely Greek related.
"A lot of people had talked about how boring Carnival was becoming," Whitescarver said. "It was not on a big level like it used to be."
"The CFSC should be...thinking of programs that involve the whole campus, not just exclusively Greek stuff," Whitescarver said.
DOC President Mark Giordano '94 said he believes the event will help break down stereotypes students hold about the two groups.
"Some people in the Outing Club have stereotypes about fraternities and some people in fraternities have stereotypes about the Outing Club," he said. "But I don't think it's all philosophical, it's just to go out and have a good time."
Whitescarver shared Giordano's opinion that the event will help break down stereotypes.
"The whole purpose behind the...event is to foster unification among the diverse groups of students at Dartmouth," she said. "We also wanted to provide something entertaining in the carnival spirit to the students of Dartmouth and the surrounding community."
Both organizers emphasized the event as a way to get outside. "It's something to do rather than just sitting in all weekend and drinking," Whitescarver said.
Giordano said Winter Carnival started as an outdoor activity, but has recently become less outdoor oriented.
"I think for a while we didn't do that much on campus," he said. "We can go outside and do stuff, that's the whole point of it."
The DOC started their outdoor afternoon two years ago. The afternoon, which consisted of winter sporting events at Occom Pond, is now included as a part of the Winter Games.
