The futuristic vision presented in director Stanley Kubrick's classic motion picture, "2001: A Space Odyssey," will be given a uniquely Dartmouth twist when the College's annual Winter Carnival takes over the campus Feb. 8-11.
According to Winter Carnival Council co-chair Ray Gilliar '01, the Carnival's theme, "2001: An Ice Odyssey," is "fitting because of its timeliness and poignance."
"Most of the elements [of the Carnival] are leaning towards ['2001: A Space Odyssey']," fellow co-chair Anne Cloudman '02 said. According to Cloudman, this year's carnival poster, designed by Quang V. Truong '01, "incorporates images from the College and the film."
Another event staple, the snow sculpture, will bear an association with Kubrick's film, according to Gilliar, who expressed strong enthusiasm for the structure's construction -- though he declined to identify what the sculpture would look like.
"The sculpture is a work in progress whose construction we hope every student will have a hand in," he said. "The theme has its origin in both Kubrick's film and Homer's 'The Odyssey.' It has a stellar pedigree," Gilliar said, who came up with the Carnival's theme in November.
The theme was approved by the Winter Carnival Council, made up of six committees that will handle the various affairs of the weekend, according to Cloudman.
"We have had greater participation and involvement than in previous years," said Cloudman, who served as sculpture committee co-chair last year.
She noted, in particular, an increase in the number of freshmen serving on the Carnival Council. According to Events Committee co-chair Ryan Bennett '04, approximately 62 students in total comprised this year's Council.
The schedule of the Carnival will be similar to those of years past, Cloudman said.
"We hope to uphold the traditions of Carnival as well as put our mark on the weekend," Gilliar said.
While students will have the opportunity to participate in popular activities such as the polar bear swim and the human dogsled race, the future of the keg jump, an event that has become synonymous with Winter Carnival, remains fairly bleak.
While Cloudman said she will be disappointed if the keg jump's sponsors, the Psi Upsilon fraternity, are unable to secure an insurance policy necessary to hold the event, she noted the jump is "not the central event of winter Carnival.
"[The keg jump] was an enjoyable spectacle, but I don't think its absence will detract from the general excitement of the weekend," Gilliar agreed.
Cloudman emphasized the ability of Winter Carnival to unite the student body.
"[The Carnival] is a way for Dartmouth students to come together and celebrate the cold climate in which we live," she said. "It's a really great tradition."
