With the D. 0. C.
CARNIVAL MACHINERY IN HIGH GEAR FOR FESTIVAL ON FEBRUARY 10-11
AS THIS ISSUE of the MAGAZINE goes to press it is hard to realize that the 1939 Winter Carnival will be an accomplished fact soon after the issue comes to its readers' hands. At the present moment James Sampson '39 and his Carnival Committee are going through the annual period of hectic chaos, a period which always rises to seemingly insurmountable heights on the Thursday evening before Carnival, then somehow resolves itself during the festival week-end.
At the present moment all divisions of the rather complex Carnival machine are laying plans, beginning construction work, and enlisting personnel. Most interesting announcement of last week was made by Elmer Browne '40, in charge of the Outdoor Evening. Vera Hruba, Czecho-Slovakian figure skating ace, is to be a featured performer on the outdoor program. Miss Hruba, trained in the technique of the Russian ballet when a child, is reported to bring to her ice performances the grace and interpretive abilities usually associated with the ballet art.
Already the "Keg-O-Rum" set has begun
to move from the designer's table to actual form on its golf course location. Charles Weinberg '42, set designer, has made some radical innovations in an attempt to incorporate the set as an integral part of the performance and add to the seating capacity of the amphitheatre. Large ice ramps will be constructed leading from the Carnival Queen's dias high on the set down to the exhibition skating pond, and according to present plans will serve as a runway for skating performers. Chief Electrician Dick Seidman '40 quotes a remarkable voltage figure that is to be used in lighting the performance. In addition to the usual flood lighting, vari-colored spot lights are to be planted under the skating pond to serve as a richly colored base for the skating acts.
Henry Merrill '39, in charge of Competitions, reports that an extremely well-balanced group of competitors are being invited to take part in the five-event meet. Already ski followers are pointing to what apparently will be a three-cornered duel between McGill, the visiting Italian team, and Dartmouth. McGill, this year led by Bobby Johannsen, appears to be a real threat, judging by Christmas vacation meets in which they divided two meets with Dartmouth A and B team skiers. Besides this triumvirate, Peter Garett of Yale, who skied brilliantly at Sun Valley over the holidays, and Gignac, standout Middlebury jumper, should fare well. Although no definite plans for skating competition can be released at present, a resurgence of intercollegiate interest in the Occom Pond meet is taking place.
Early this month John English '40 held the annual get-together for students desirous of working on some phase of Carnival. In some ways this furnishes the most interesting and important aspect of the presentation. The success of Carnival naturally lies solidly upon the willingness of the undergraduate body to furnish the necessary manpower. Annually many men from every phase of campus activity and from freshmen to seniors lend a hand between the close of the semester and the Carnival week-end. The work to be done is explained by the Personnel Director and opportunity is given for the undergraduates to work in a chosen field—be it electrical problems, set construction, publicity, competitions, or one of the other departments.
Within the next few days the members of the Italian ski team will sail for their Carnival visit. While in Hanover the team members will be the guests of the Hanover Inn and the D. O. C., thus continuing the practice begun several years ago of bringing American, Canadian, and European collegians together over the Carnival week-end.
The complexity of the Carnival organization prohibits its being described in greater detail here. Such varying tasks as entertaining visiting ski teams, selling posters and programs, pond freezing (this a lovely job during the dead of night when the temperature drops), selecting and inviting officials, publicizing the event in metropolitan and local papers,—all are but phases of the many-sided activity, the finished product of which spells CARNIVAL.
Metropolitan sports pages seem to have carried accounts which preclude the necessity of recounting here the ski teams' record during the past month. High points of the season so far have been the victory of Steve Bradley '39 in the four-way meet at Sun Valley, the Lac Beauport win over McGill, and the Lake Placid loss by our strong B squad to the same team. Most disappointing news was that of Dick Durrance's knee injury. Present reports are that the injury is responding to treatment and Durrance will be ready to resume competition shortly.
STAR PHOTOGRAPHER Richard Durrance '39 is editor of the Dartmouth Pictorial as well as the country'sNo. 1 skier.
