Ripon College Days

Media Credit: Photo by Nicole Klaas Shafted. A new college policy aims to deter winter snow sculptures from defacing Honest Abe, among others. [Click to enlarge]

Winter at Ripon College consists of riding makeshift sleds down Sadoff, dangerous electrical dorm room light displays and the transformation of Abe from an upstanding citizen to something not so quite. A new Student Handbook policy will make one of these favorite pastimes a finable offense.

The new policy, which bans snow art that is not "tasteful," causes laughter among some students. But for others, as well as the faculty and staff behind the policy's adoption, the addition to the Student Handbook is one that is necessary and will improve the campus' winter appearance.

"We don't want to stop any winter time fun, we just want everyone to feel safe and appreciated on campus," says Josh De War, director of residence life.

Included in the brief Student Handbook policy is language that mandates "the creation of objects out of snow must be tasteful and should reflect the academic mission of the College."

The policy addition was proposed by De War in response to a situation concerning a snow sculpture outside Mapes last winter.

"A large nude woman was created - her genitalia were even dyed red via Kool-aid," says De War. "The students who created the work stated that they believed it to be art, and while I can accept that to some degree, the work was not done with true artistic intent but rather to exploit women."

According to junior Peter Jensen, an RA in Mapes, there were other examples of somewhat tasteless creations last winter.

"Last year there were a couple of questionable sculptures put up in front of Tri-Dorms and Johnson, and every year there is a snow sculpture made outside of Mapes that some have found offensive in the past," he says.

Then, there's also the infamous transformation of Abe Lincoln into a giant snow penis.

At the heart of the new rule is a concern over keeping the campus free from offensive decoration. A particular concern regarding obscene snow art is its location, as campus tours walk right past the Abe statue and any sculptures made along Thorne Street.

"As long as it's not on upper campus, I think it's alright," says sophomore Kristen Lemke. "Then prospectives wouldn't be seeing it."

In fact, many students get a good chuckle out of Abe taking vandalism for the sake of a snow art team, but some see it as just that - vandalism.

"I think Lincoln is bad...when it's noticeable to the community, it looks bad," says junior Tylor Loest.

Another section of students love snow art and think giant snow genitalia are a normal part of college, but agree that students can go too far. In their eyes, the snow woman dyed red crossed the line.

"It's sick. It's like rape or something," says senior Megan Mangerson. "When they're outwardly disrespecting a sex, it's not funny."

Senior Chris Nakielski agrees.

"That shit ain't art," he says. "Whoever did it, they didn't go out there with the intention of making a political statement. It's offensive because no one's fessing up to it."

Energy expended in the creation of the traditional snowman - or snowwoman - is one alternative for those teeming with the need to express their artistic abilities through the white stuff.

"We're college students; I think we can come up with something better than an oversized penis and a bloody vagina," says Loest.

Traditional snowpeople will also save students some green.

Students found in violation of the new policy will be fined $50 and their student account will be charged for the labor costs associated with dismantling the sculpture by plant department. However, if the inappropriately deemed sculptures go unclaimed, the charges will be tacked on to residents of the building the creation is discovered outside of as a common area damage.

Lemke offers an alternative for this procedure.

"I think if it really offends you, you can cover it up," says Lemke. "I mean, we all had sex ed. We know what a penis looks like. It's really not that offensive."

Many students also question the enforceability of the new rule.

"How are you going to prove who did it? That's just going to start crap," says junior Lindsay Aldridge.

But, De War thinks otherwise. "I think it would be difficult for someone not to see a giant obscene snow creation being built," he says.

De War notes that past works of tasteless snow art have been "easy to trace back to their creator."

De War hopes all students will step up and take a part in preventing degrading snow art this winter.

"Ideally, we just want people to take responsibility and pride in where they live, and that they'll approach their peers when such situations arise," he says.

In the end some, including Jensen, believe this policy will be no different than most.

"It's like any other policy, some will take it seriously and others will take it as a challenge or a dare, or at the very least disregard it," he says.

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