The heavy snow of a Syracuse winter might not always be welcome, but this year it's an auspicious sign for the reappearance of a venerable SU tradition: Winter Carnival Weekend, which returns to campus Feb. 21-Feb. 23.
Once an annual celebration at SU, Winter Carnival had mostly fallen by the wayside by the 1970s and only returned to campus sporadically in ensuing years. The event was originally started in 1933 as a holiday before the start of exams, but soon grew into a midwinter sports festival that included hockey and ski jumping. Past Winter Carnival activities also included a stocking foot dance, a torchlight parade on skis, and the annual Sno Ball, which included the crowning of the Carnival Queen.
There won't be a Carnival Queen this year, but one activity from yesteryear that will return is the snow sculpture contest, formerly renowned for attracting Syracuse residents to the campus during the celebration. This year's contest will feature sculptures created by teams of students from each residence hall. Sporting events in the snow will also return, including volleyball and a "Wacky Winter Olympics," and horse and carriage rides will be available.
During Saturday and Sunday's events on the Main Quad, Campus Catering will serve festival fare including hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, chili and hot chocolate on the patio of Huntington Beard Crouse Hall. Residential dining centers will also offer a special Winter Carnival menu.
For those who prefer to come in from the cold, the Schine Student Center will host several events, including the annual DanceWorks show and regional College Bowl action. Figure skating, hockey and other special events will be held at Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion on South Campus throughout the weekend.
Members of the Residence Hall Association (RHA) and Interfraternity Council are helping coordinate activities with the help of student team leaders in each residence hall and various Greek chapters on campus. Chad Bender, a junior in the School of Management and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and director of social programming for RHA, is hopeful that this weekend's celebration will herald the return of some of SU's liveliest student traditions.
"Winter Carnival is definitely something we want to see continue again throughout the years," says Bender. "We'd like to bring back the big traditional events on this campus for a new generation."
Bender doesn't think this year's Carnival will suffer from lack of snow. If this holds true, Winter Carnival Weekend 2003 will have already been a notable success. In prior years, more often than not, the celebration had to be rescheduled due to uncooperative weather.
Winter Carnival Weekend events are free of charge unless otherwise noted. Some events may be cancelled due to weather conditions. For event updates, call 443-3939.
Friday, Feb. 21
Saturday, Feb. 22
Sunday, Feb. 23
