Michigan Tech students start work on carnival snow statues

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) — Work has started on massive snow statues to be featured during Michigan Technological University’s Winter Carnival, WLUC-TV reported.

Student groups on Friday began their prehistoric times-themed projects for the annual event at the school in Houghton, northwest of Marquette in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Statues are to be built from natural snow that falls in the area.

“First thing we do is get all these forms out here set, then we fill them full of snow and water,” said Eric Eschenburg, statue chair for Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. “We work every night after classes until about midnight, so we're out here working up until Winter Carnival.”

John Frischmon, statue chair for Phi Kappa Tau, said his fraternity planned on doing three shifts each day through the weekend.

“We're showing off what we can do to ourselves, but also to the university and our national fraternity,” Frischmon said.

Statues are to be judged Feb. 6 before viewing at the carnival.

The Winter Carnival was started in 1922, according to the school.