The recent snowstorm, coupled with the sunny weather and popularity of the “Carnival of Thrones” theme and sculpture, led to higher student turnout at the Winter Carnival events and a record number of entries in the human dog sled race this past weekend.
Carnival officially began on Thursday night with the opening ceremony on the Green, where approximately 100 people gathered to hear College President Phil Hanlon speak and the Dartmouth Cords sing. Students then gathered at the Top of the Hop for the annual Carnival Tea.
Winter Carnival Committee co-chair Mandy Bowers ’14 said the ceremony saw a high turnout.
“Everyone wanted to get their picture taken on the throne,” she said.
One of the most popular events of the weekend was the Polar Bear Swim at Occom Pond, committee co-chair Michael Perlstein ’14 said, estimating that 400 students participated in the plunge.
The human dog sled race has gained popularity over the years. This year, 121 teams signed up for the race, and 90 teams, each composed of four students, participated.
The “Carni Classic,” traditionally a cross-country ski race on the golf course, was replaced with a snowshoe race on the Gold Coast Lawn on Friday afternoon for this year’s Carnival.
The Carnival Ball was canceled this year due to a lack of interest in prior years. Funding for the dance, combined with a donation from the Class of 1977, instead subsidized the first-ever ice-sculpting contest.
Ten teams participated in the contest, which replaced the snow sculpture contest of past years, Perlstein said.
The Carnival program also included an arts and crafts event, in which about 30 students and local community members created felt banners, resembling house sigils from “Game of Thrones.”
Perlstein attributed this year’s increased enthusiasm and turnout rates in part to the recent snowstorm.
“It’s hard to get students excited when there’s bare ground and ice everywhere,” Perlstein said. “It’s easier when there’s a foot of fresh snow on the ground.”
Bowers added that without the snowstorm, events like the “Carni Classic” might have been canceled.
The trainer for the ice-sculpting contest, however, arrived a day late due to the snow, meaning that contestants had less time to carve their sculptures, Bowers said.
