For the past 94 years, Winter Carnival has been enjoyed by students and visitors alike. While Carnival traditions have changed dramatically, the celebration characterized by winter athletics and weekend parties has not faded.
Fred Harris '11, founder of the Dartmouth Outing Club, first voiced the idea to hold a winter carnival in a 1909 editorial for The Dartmouth. His vision was to create an event that would annually attract many people interested in enjoying winter activities in the Hanover area.
The first Winter Carnival, although not known by that name at the time, was held on Feb. 26, 1910, around Occom Pond. More social activities accompanied the celebration the following year, giving rise to a holiday more similar to the current Carnival.
Harris said he believed there was more to winter than sitting indoors, complaining about the weather and, thus, he set about to organize sporting and social events to convince other Dartmouth students of the joys of winter in New Hampshire.
Harris, however, was not able to attend the historic occasion because he had sprained his knee escaping a fire in South Fayerweather dormitory, which burned to the ground shortly before the carnival.
In 1925, the event was given its first theme and official snow sculpture. A competition among snow sculptures built on fraternity lawns appeared two years later. While Greek houses continue to build sculptures on their lawns, the competitive aspect of that particular tradition has all but vanished.
The snow sculpture has gone through many changes over Carnival's 94-year history. Earlier Carnivals displayed large towers of ice, such as one year's massive 47-foot snowman. But by the late 1990s, the sculpture was considered to be unremarkable.
For the past two years, students have pushed to restore the sculpture to its former greatness.
"Over the past four carnivals, you can definitely see a renewed interest and pride in the sculpture. I credit the Winter Carnival chairs but also the manpower and effort of organizations on campus, like the DOC," Stephanie Long '04 said, "It's really the students that have revived the tradition and I think it's great."
Carnival's focus has also been
transformed over the years. The weekend used focus more on the skiing events, according to James Klaas '04, a member of the ski team.
"Almost no students know why we have Winter Carnival. It is not just some random weekend filled with parties and outdoor activities. It signifies the one and only home meet for the Dartmouth ski team," Klaas said. "Although some students do venture out to the Skiway or to Oak Hill to watch the races, they are no longer the centerpiece of the weekend. However, in the past, with such events as the ski jump, the entire campus would turn out to cheer on the team."
The festivities changed significantly when Dartmouth became co-educational and the annual female beauty pageant was discontinued.
Winter Carnival was marked by controversy again in 1999, when the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council decided to cancel all 21 registered Greek parties for the weekend. This action was in part a response to the newly-announced Student Life Initiative.
Despite some controversy and several changing traditions, Winter Carnival has perservered. The weekend will always have a place in the hearts of students, and its history continues to help unite the Dartmouth community.
