HOUGHTON – Since its debut as the “Ice Carnival” in 1922, Michigan Technological University’s Winter Carnival has become a treasured tradition for both the university and the community.

According to the university’s website, after the initial carnival, which consisted of acts put on in a traditional circus style, the event went on tour in 1924, with students performing the show around the Copper Country, as well as in Marquette. In 1934, after a four-year lapse in the event, the Blue Key Fraternity sponsored a carnival that looked more like today’s event, with skiing, skating and snowshoe races presented as part of the festivities. This year’s Winter Carnival events will last around four weeks, with a month-long statue construction beginning on Jan. 12, and the closing ceremony wrapping up the festivities on Feb. 8.

Andrew Conley, president of the Blue Key Honor Society, said the organization is currently responsible for putting together almost every aspect of Winter Carnival, from raising the funds to planning the events themselves.

“(Blue Key is responsible for) just about every aspect: statues, special events, the queens competition, stage review, the website – we don’t necessarily do the website, but we’re responsible for the content of the website – the fundraising. We raise about $40,000 – $50,000 a year. Some of that comes from the university, but most of it comes from the community,” Conley said.

He said planning begins immediately following the previous carnival, with students typically committing two or three years to the organization, taking on more responsibility after they’ve had the chance to help plan their first carnival.

“In your second year, you take on a specific aspect – a lot of our second years would have queens as theirs, or stage review as theirs, or you can be come the president, vice president, treasurer, secretary – but in your first year, you’re working under each of those second-years, doing individual tasks, getting ready, essentially, to take over the next year,” he said.

In Conley’s time at Tech, Winter Carnival has undergone some smaller changes, including the addition of an interactive statue category and, for this year’s carnival, changes in donor recognition and statue rules, a collaboration with the Student Entertainment Board to bring in acts for the stage events, including Justin Willman, who hosts the show “Cupcake Wars” on Food Network.

“We have three really good comedians coming for all three of our stage events,” he said.

A Parade of Flags has been added as well, to give an old tradition new visibility.

“We used to have a banner competition, where student orgs would create a banner on paper and they’d hang it up in the ice arena, and a few people would see it during the hockey games, but we’ve tried to implement something that would bring more attention to the student orgs that are involved,” Conley said. “The night of the all-nighter, they’ll be marching through campus with the pep band, showing off their pride for their individual organization.”

Lindsay Hiltunen, senior archivist for Michigan Tech, said the history of the event is well-preserved in the archives, with a variety of materials telling the story of past festivities.

“We have photographs, newspaper articles, scrapbooks, posters, postcards, pictorials, programs, video footage and memorabilia – pins, glassware, pennants – that all come together to preserve the story of past Winter Carnivals,” Hiltunen said.

Some traditions have fallen by the wayside, Hiltunen said, including the Sno-Ball dance, (which she said used to be considered one of the “premiere social events of the year,”) a choreographed ice show, and a street parade. Hiltunen said during the 1950s and 60s, when females were few and far between on campus, Greyhound buses were chartered so male students could bring a sweetheart up north to enjoy the festivities.

The Winter Carnival story is a prominent part of Tech’s unique campus identity, Hiltunen said, and preserving the history of the event is important for preserving that identity.

“Having a long-standing tradition like Winter Carnival allows different generations of alumni to relate to a shared experience, even as other parts of campus life have evolved and changed over time,” Hiltunen said. “Even with changes in how Winter Carnival is celebrated from past to present, the all-campus winter festival resonates with current students, faculty, staff, alumni and community friends alike. It is a special tradition that not only creates lasting memories but can serve as an event to bring new friends together, no matter their connection to Michigan Tech.”

Hiltunen, who grew up in the Copper Country, said she fondly remembers past Winter Carnivals, and has grown to see the event as not only a Michigan Tech tradition, but a Keweenaw tradition as well.

“My favorite time of year was always the build-up to Winter Carnival and watching the statues take shape,” she said. “When I was a kid I skated with the Portage Lake Figure Skating Club and, on the way to ice time at the SDC, I would marvel at the statues as they went up throughout January and early February.”

Hiltunen said community involvement is evident within the archive’s collections, with examples ranging from video footage of parades to newspaper articles showing community families enjoying Winter Carnival events to advertisements from local businesses.

As a current student, Conley said he enjoys getting to work with a wide variety of departments and organizations within the university and community to pull it all off.

“It definitely has a lasting impression. It’s kind of the legacy we’ve inherited over 80 years now, and we’re building on that legacy, we’re keeping those traditions alive,” he said, “but we’re also looking to the future, and seeing how we can make this remain a proud tradition of the Keweenaw.”

For those interested in learning more about the history of Winter Carnival, the Michigan Tech archives will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 7. Hiltunen said she will be on-site to talk about the history of Winter Carnival, and Winter Carnival collections will be available for viewing.

“I think it is also important to note those traditions that have remained, grown and strengthened over time,” Hiltunen said. “The celebration of Winter Carnival is a nod to the copious amounts of snow Mother Nature shares us with and our ability to come together and appreciate it. Through winter sports, towering statues, fuzzy beards, warm cider, good friends and good times, we come together as a community. Winter Carnival will always be a celebration of our unique campus and our roots in this particularly special place.”