For 102 years, neither snow, rain, heat nor gloom of night has stopped Huskies from
celebrating their renowned Winter Carnival. This year is no exception, says two-time
Blue Key National Honor Society President Joe Dlugos, who leads the group that organizes
and runs one of the largest winter celebrations in the nation.
Statue builders, like this 2023 team, will labor through the night on Wednesday, Feb.
7, as Huskies near and far celebrate one of Michigan Tech’s most enduring traditions.
Organizers are bringing in snow to supplement less-than-hoped-for accumulations at
statue sites.
Michigan Technological University’s 2024 Winter Carnival begins with the traditional All-Nighter on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and wraps up Saturday,
Feb. 10. This year’s theme is “From Forests to Shores We Love the Outdoors.”
Dlugos enjoyed seeing the 2024 theme morph from a motto on a sticky note in the student organization office to a full-blown
merch line featuring a Husky puppy gazing at an Upper Peninsula-shaped constellation
against the backdrop of the northern lights.
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Winter Carnival Schedule
This year’s Carnival features classic events like Stage Revue, human ice bowling, and Wednesday’s All-Nighter, in which student organizations compete in a one-night
statue-building contest and competitors in the monthlong statue category put the finishing
touches on their entries. Campus will be alive with music and camaraderie until the
wee hours of the morning. Food favorites include free chili and the all-you-can-eat pancake booth sponsored by Tech’s Air Force ROTC. This year’s
schedule also includes shows by the Michigan Tech Sledheads, another student org,
in Visitor Parking Lot 27 and a performance of circus troupe FLIP Fabrique’s “Blizzard” at the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.
Scan the full list of events, meet the royalty candidates and get a full listing of
snow statue winners when they are released Thursday, Feb. 8, on Michigan Tech’s Winter Carnival website.
The theme, Dlugos said, is pure Michigan Tech. “Tech is the outdoors,” he said. “As students, we get to experience the outdoor culture of
the Keweenaw — and that will come out in all the Carnival activities, including statues
and skits. We’re going to see a lot of interpretations of nature. I’m excited for
it.”
What he’s not getting overexcited about is the weather.
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Throughout Winter Carnival history, organizers and participants have contended with subzero temperatures, whiteout blizzards,
rain and an array of other less-than-ideal conditions for contests waged on snow and
ice.
While the Keweenaw received more than 60 inches of snow in January, unseasonably warm
and dry conditions have melted most of the accumulation. Blue Key is coordinating
with Michigan Tech Facilities Management and reaching out to community members for
snow contributions from fields, vacant land and everywhere folks are willing to have
their white stuff hauled away. Monthlong statue builders have lost weeks of construction
work on their creations, and both they and one-night sculptors will likely focus on
intricate details rather than size for their statues.
Warm temperatures have also affected the broomball competition. Games have been suspended
due to rink conditions, but organizers are hoping the ice will hold for the traditional Broomball
All-Stars game from 9-11 p.m. during Wednesday’s All-Nighter.
“We’re rolling with the punches,” said Dlugos. “There’s only so many things you can
control and the weather isn’t one of them. Most events can go on with minimal snow.”
Dlugos’ pragmatic, philosophical approach is in keeping with the Husky spirit of tenacity and reinforced by confidence that snow or shine, the plethora of plans and processes
required to pull off Carnival will come together to create a fun campus and community
event.
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In other words, the great outdoors will still be great and the success of Winter Carnival
isn’t dependent on a thermometer.
“Winter Carnival is about forming new friendships. It’s a celebration that caters
to alumni and the Keweenaw community. But it’s especially important for students,
because we need a break!”Joe Dlugos ’24, president, Blue Key National Honor Society
This is Dlugos’ second year leading Winter Carnival. That’s a rarity. One year usually
feels sufficient for most Blue Key presidents. It’s a huge job on top of their studies
and other commitments.
Joe Dlugos wanted to serve a second term as Blue Key president to continue serving
others while helping to keep one of Michigan Tech’s most beloved traditions — Winter
Carnival — thriving in years to come. Every year brings unique challenges. This year,
it’s unusually warm weather.
“I was thrilled when I heard that Joe was interested in a second year as president,”
said Laura Bulleit, Michigan Tech’s vice president of student affairs. Bulleit and Heather Sander, assistant to Tech’s chief financial officer and senior vice president for administration,
have co-advised Blue Key since 2015.
“Turnover is inherent in student organizations and it always poses a challenge for
continuity. When we have members who serve on the executive board (president, vice
president, treasurer, secretary, and alumni and member outreach) for two consecutive
years, it really helps for a smoother transition from year to year and allows that
officer to focus on improving the organization. Joe has definitely been able to do
that this year,” said Bulleit.
Husky Spirit Burns Brightly
Statues aren’t the only thing specifically constructed for Winter Carnival celebrations.
Blue Key commissioned fire cages from a mechanical engineering technology (MET) Senior
Design team to offer light and warmth on campus during festivities. “The fire cages
are beautiful and highlight the creativity and technical skills of our students! Plus,
it was a fantastic collaboration between Blue Key and the design team,” said Laura
Bulleit, Blue Key co-advisor. Design team members are manufacturing and mechanical
engineering technology (MMET) majors Teresa Hoving, Nick Rees and Nathaniel Eastman. Their advisors are MMET Professor and Chair John Irwin and Laboratory Operations Supervisor Scott Meneguzzo.
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Dlugos, an environmental engineering major who graduates this spring, will start his career at G2 Consulting conducting geotechnical analyses for solar arrays. With a bright future awaiting,
helping to build a strong foundation for Blue Key and future Winter Carnivals is currently
top of mind.
“Service has always been important to me. It’s enjoyable and I’m always looking at
how many people I can impact,” said Dlugos, a former Eagle Scout, who noted that “Serving,
I Live,” is Blue Key’s national motto.
“I think a lot about the difference between leadership and experience. This is my
third year in Blue Key. The first year, I was statue chairman. I think about where
our experience is going — we don’t want to pass a torch that’s dimly lit,” Dlugos
said. “The people who are dedicated to this Tech tradition will stick around longer.
This year, I wanted to make sure I got other people involved, delegating responsibilities
and empowering them. My phone number will always be available to Blue Key, but I want
them to feel confident in their abilities to know what’s going on and carry on.”
Dlugos said he and other repeat Blue Key members also worked this year to boost organization
morale with membership activities that aren’t related to organizing Winter Carnival.
They’re hoping to resurrect Blue Key’s once-traditional post-Carnival party, where
they can kick back and celebrate their success — before planning starts for next year.
Bulleit said what she most admires about the Blue Key members who make Winter Carnival
possible is their ability to handle what becomes equivalent to a full-time job as
each February approaches. “The students have to maintain their academics, other activities
and sometimes even jobs while working on Winter Carnival,” she said. “The students
in Blue Key, especially members of the executive board and the committee chairs, have
the skills that employers are looking for. They are task-oriented, but are also excellent
communicators who work well on a team.”
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“The thing I love the most about advising Blue Key is absolutely the students! Every
year, they impress me with their leadership abilities, their creativity and their
professionalism. Winter Carnival is not an easy event to plan and organize. It requires
students who are good communicators and have the ability to motivate their peers.”Laura Bulleit, co-advisor, Blue Key National Honor Society
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
Paula Wethington is a digital producer at CBS Detroit. She previously held digital content roles at NEWSnet, Gannett/USA Today network and The Monroe News in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
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A pedestrian was struck and died of her injuries early Friday on the Lodge Freeway in Detroit.
Emergency dispatchers started to get calls about 2:30 a.m. about someone who was walking along the Lodge, and then were notified that the person had been struck by a vehicle, the Michigan State Police reported.
When troopers arrived, they found multiple cars stopped along the freeway, and people standing around a woman who was severely injured.
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Detroit EMS pronounced the woman dead at the scene, state police said. She has not yet been identified.
The driver who struck the woman did not stay at the scene.
“Troopers are currently using technology that is available in the area to identify the vehicle involved,” MSP F/Lt. Mike Shaw said.
The Lodge Freeway, also known as M-10, was closed at about 2:46 a.m. Friday between Chicago Boulevard / Hamilton Avenue and Clairmount Street for the investigation and emergency assistance, according to Michigan Department of Transportation reports. The Lodge was reported back open at 6:05 a.m.
Michigan Department of Transportation traffic reports are at the MI Drive site.
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State police said their investigation is continuing. Those who witnessed the crash or have other information are asked to call the MSP Metro South Post at 734-287-5000 or Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 800-SPEAK-UP.
Bryce Underwood talks Michigan football during spring practice
Bryce Underwood talks Michigan football during spring practice at Schembechler Hall in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
The buzzword continued to come up in Schembechler Hall, from each one of the captains.
From Bryce Underwood to Jordan Marshall, Rod Moore to Trey Pierce − Michigan football players around for the previous regime and in the case of the latter two, the one before that too − each said Wednesday, March 25, that there’s a noticeable difference within the program under new coach Kyle Whittingham.
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For Moore, a sixth-year player who will likely become a third-time captain when the official leaders are voted on later this summer, he recognized the vibe.
SCHEME DREAM: Michigan football tailoring offense to strength behind Bryce Underwood
“I would say it’s kind of a similarity to coach Harbaugh’s regimen,” he said. “It’s a lot more strict than the past two years, and the weight room has kind of been a night-and-day difference than the past two years. We feel a lot stronger, a lot more progress.”
The Wolverines finished winter conditioning and Whittingham graded it with an “A+.” Hope is often the dominant mode at this time of year and adding a new coaching staff to what’s generally a positive time creates little surprise that the Wolverines are raving about the new system.
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But beyond the platitudes and clichés, there are tangible examples. Take Pierce: The projected starting defensive tackle has trimmed his weight to 300 pounds while adding muscle mass to his overall frame.
“Something new that we have now is that whenever we start meetings, there’s like a loud air horn that goes off throughout the whole building,” Moore said. “The past two years, we would start the meeting at 2:30, but now we start the meeting at 2:25, even though it’s a 2:30 meeting. Just everyone being five minutes early. The coaches are holding everyone accountable in the meetings, going to class.
“Just the little things that makes a team great, not just the big, broad things that everyone sees.”
There was an implication from everyone, though nothing said explicitly, that the past two seasons featured little enforcement. Most players would show up on time for lifts, but there were those who didn’t, with few repercussions.
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“It’s the little things,” Pierce said. “Guys being late for lifts, guys not being where they’re supposed to be, whether it’s [missing] class. Just enforcing that a little bit heavier, that type of thing. … A lot of coaches say that when you’re being recruited in front of your parents. But for [Whittingham] to say that in front of the huddle after practice and say, ‘That’s why I’m here,’ I would say, ‘OK, he cares. He gets it.’”
Throughout the offseason, some who’ve spent time inside the facility said the weightlifting sessions had notably more juice. The past two years felt like a carryover of the previous years in terms of style, but accountability and discipline wavered.
Now, with Doug Elisaia leading the strength and conditioning room, there are different philosophies.
RAINIER SABIN: Kyle Whittingham is dreaming big for Michigan football; it’s doable
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Practices are a bit shorter these days – two hours – but as Marshall said, “I don’t stop moving at practice, like, we’re always doing something that’s not only going to help with us competing with teams, but our conditioning.”
Marshall believes it can take the Wolverines to the next level, he said.
Just more than a week into spring ball, players are oozing confidence. Not just in their skills − the running back room is deep, the wide receiver room has as much raw talent as at any point the past decade, the offensive line returned multiple key pieces, the secondary added depth and the defensive tackles feel underrated − but in mindset.
U-M had early, demanding lifting sessions during winter conditioning, with a clear organization.
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“It introduces that factor of toughness, like we’ve been through this at 6:30 a.m., 6:15 a.m., all these days in the grind together,” Pierce said. “It improves team bonding, and puts you in the headspace of, we’ve done harder stuff than this, and nothing can break us.”
The difference between winning and losing can often be razor-thin. Will this pay off when it counts during the season?
“If I can trust you to do things maybe you don’t want to do,” Marshall said, “then I can trust you on the field when it’s the fourth quarter and we have one minute left.”
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
