THE COLLEGE
CONCERNING The Players' production of Sophocles' Ajax on January 19-21, Prof, Henry B. Williams told The Dartmouth, "This is a play about insanity, and that is the reason why we decided to give it at this time."
His explanation had nothing to do with the final-examination period, beginning a few days later, or with the Dartmouth Outing Club's distraught condition over Hanover's scant snow cover as Winter Carnival drew near. Professor Williams meant that Ajax was timely because the psychological drama is so much to the fore these days; but the other interpretation might have had a certain pertinency.
Throughout most of January, with snow to the north and to the south, but not a lasting flake for Hanover Plain, pre-Carnival jitters were more acute than usual. Urgent petitions to "make with the white stuff" were sent up by Carnival Committee members to Ullr, Norse god of skiing, for whom the center-of-campus snow statue is named.
The 45-foot-high statue of a tall, athletic skier, with an upright ski in each hand, was designed by Richard W. Kurts '56 of Mamaroneck, N. Y., and well represents the spirit of Winter Carnival. Now in the final phases of its metamorphosis from a naked scaffolding into an imposing statue which dominates the campus, the figure's pedestal of snow was imported at the start of the examination period. Don Collins '56 of Eatonsville, Md., director of Carnival, and Warren Foster '56 of Princeton, N. J., director of Carnival features, are in charge of producing a wintry Carnival for the weekend of February 3-5, but are ready with alternate plans which include white canvas sets for Outdoor Evening, should appeals to the pagan god fail.
In keeping with DOC policy, this year's will be a "de-emphasized Carnival" for Dartmouth men and their dates, mainly to avoid the congestion of visiting firemen. On Friday night. Outdoor Evening with an ice show and the crowning of the Queen, followed by fireworks, ushers in the weekend. Miraslova Nachodska, Czechoslovakian champion, is the featured skater, and the backdrop of iridescent ice cakes, with a curved shield in front, was designed by Thomas S. Marvel '56 of Washingtonville, N. Y. A Glee Club concert, The Players' presentation of TheKing of Hearts, and fraternity dances will conclude the first day's program.
Many will be attracted to sports events, which on Friday include the Jacob Nunnemacher Memorial Slalom at Suicide Six, Woodstock, Vt.; cross-country skiing on the Golf Course; a wrestling match with the Coast Guard Academy and a swimming meet with Army. On Saturday morning the first downhill ski race at the new Holt's Ledge development in Lyme will be a historic run. Other athletic events will include the Dartmouth-Harvard hockey game, intercollegiate ski jumping, and a basketball game with Yale.
Old-timers who have seen Carnivals come and go will doubtless continue to remark on the fact that the dates are getting younger every year, and will strenuously pooh-pooh the arguments of those who cite statistics to prove that there is just as much snow as there used to be.
