Giant Snowman Appears on West TC Lawn, Courtesy of Higbie Hall Residents

Students heading to early classes Tuesday morning were greeted by an unexpected sight on the west TC lawn: a towering snowman standing proudly in the cold, the result of a spontaneous but surprisingly organized community project by residents of Higbie Hall.

“We wanted to build a snowman,” said Caiden Anderson, one of the residents involved. “We built the base, and now there’s a snowman.”

While the concept was straightforward, the meaning behind it carried a bit more weight for some of the builders. James Sich said the project strengthened bonds within the dorm. “It’s a great use of our time. It built our friendships, and I hope they don’t get rid of it.”

For others, the idea was born from pure spontaneity. Alex Sorensen described the whole endeavor as “just a dumb thing we decided to do 2 weeks ago,” while Zach Kirchner kept it simple: “It was pretty fun!”

Still, the snowman turned out to be more than just an impulse decision. With finals week underway, several students found the project to be a much-needed break. “It was a fun community project we got to work on. It helped us de-stress during finals,” said Colton Lentsch.

Ayden Contreras echoed that sentiment, sharing that the experience helped him meet new people: “I had a lot of fun building it. It was a great way of meeting new people. We’ve been planning to build it for a while.”

Others highlighted the teamwork that went into gathering materials and assembling the structure. “My favorite part was getting the materials because it involved a lot of team effort,” said Josiah Copeland, an Emry Hall resident.
Henry Beckstrom added, “It is the greatest showcase of teamwork that I’ve seen in quite some time. Glad to be a part of it.”

Of course, not every moment was glamorous. Kolby Seeman summed up his experience in just five words: “It really hurt my back.”

But despite the effort, the cold, and the occasional sore muscle, the final result drew admiration both from builders and passersby. Carson Klatt put it simply: “It’s beautiful.”

For now, the giant snowman stands as a symbol of winter spirit, community, and the surprising things that can happen when a group of college students decides to roll with an idea, literally. Whether it survives the weather, Facilities, or curious students remains to be seen, but its impression on campus is already set in snow.