Thanks to all the Michigan Tech alumni and friends who participated in the fourth annual Alumni “Snow” Statue Contest. Congratulations to the winners!
“Snow” Category — Winner
Title: In the Woods and Water Sasquatch Says Winters Are Getting Hotter
Participants: Kristen ’08 and Paul ’08 Roell, and their little Huskies Abigail (7), Philip (4), and Mae (1)
Location: Rapid City, Michigan
When camping in the UP forests or exploring the Lake Superior shore, has anyone seen this guy before? Whether the kids are watching for him while driving the Seney stretch or listening to scary stories about him around the campfire, Sasquatch brings fun to our family outdoor adventures. Our snow squatch began has a 6+ foot pile of snow, but with the warm temperatures, this elusive squatch is quickly melting away!
“Snow” Category — Runner Up
Title: Land of the Icy Blue Waters
Participants: Susan ’94, Scott ’90, and Erica Conradson
Location: Cadillac, Michigan
Sascha, the Hamms bear, has taken a wrong turn and ended up in the Land of the Icy Blue Waters, located in Michigan instead of her native Minnesota. She enjoys the Great Outdoors by fishing out of her hallowed canoe, having a cold drink, and singing “From the land of icy blue waters, from the land of pines and lofty balsams…” She better pay attention because the big fish is about to swim away. In keeping with the theme this year, she loves the outdoors, and she is partaking in the Tech Carnival tradition of celebrating winter and having a beverage.
“No Snow” Category — Winner
Title: Michigan Birds of Winter Will Enjoy This Gourmet Dinner!
Participants: Lisa ’88 and Stephen ’86 Williams
Location: Cadillac, Michigan
Considering how much the birds (and other critters) enjoyed our entry last year, we decided to apply the craft to this year’s theme. Our statue pays tribute to those tough feathered friends that stick around during the (usually) brutal Michigan winters and roam our forests and shores. This statue is constructed in Cadillac, Michigan, out of completely consumable food products and bird/sunflower seeds. Representing some of our finest forest creatures (frogs, fish, birds, and squirrels), the sunflower seed-filled dough animals have been baked golden brown and are served up on a remaining snow drift. The backdrop is a sunflower seed-covered mountain that falls into the birdseed river. To ensure anyone who sees this has no doubt of the origin, we’ve thrown in a silhouette of the UP, a Piano Dog, and a couple of pasties! Now that the pics are snapped, it’s already under siege by our local feathered and furry friends!
“No Snow” Category — Runner Up
Title: Wilbrrr’s Winter Wednesday
Participants: Ben Thompson ’09, with his children Aspen and Laurel, and Drew Vettel ’05, with his children Maeda and Jackson
Location: Woodruff, Wisconsin
We took a family vacation with friends to Woodruff, Wisconsin, and stayed at an Airbnb on a quiet little lake. The statue was built at the end of the dock at the place we are staying at. We harvested some broken pine boughs and flower parts from a kiddo craft project to add some character to the entry. Wilbrrr is sporting a pine mustache and mohawk. The statue was mostly built by Ben and Drew, but our eldest daughters helped a bit and we had plenty of playtime in the snow with them too (sledding, making snow angels, learning cross-country skiing, etc.).