g7 The Guilford snow sculpting team recently took part in The Rockford Area High School Snow Sculpting Competition, which was held Thursday, January 23rd through Saturday, January 25th. The team was one of the seventeen total schools that competed, and they received two of the seven awards given out. They won the third place prize, and the Linda K. White Spirit Award, which is a prize given out to the team that endures the most hardships during the competition. The team had to deal with many issues; like weather in the 30’s, snowfall, and even rain at one point. 

   “This year it was a little too warm,” said Emerson Goza, senior, the snow sculpting team captain.  “So the sculpture was slowly melting.”

   Despite these problems, they worked hard and adapted. For example, they used an easy-up tent to protect their sculpture from the rain, temperatures, and snow. The team was able to readjust to the conditions and keep working as if there were no problems at all.

   “I think that’s why we got the spirit award,” said Ms. Austin, the team’s advisor. “We could’ve easily just given up and switched our design, but they stuck with it.”

   When making a snow sculpture, first a team needs to decide what ideas and designs they will use to make their creation.

   “It’s a group effort,” said Ms. Austin, “we have a meeting, and then we start brainstorming on what we want to do.”  

   This year, the team used the recent RPS 205 hack as inspiration for their sculpture. The sculpture went through many different designs and ideas, originally being a tree, but eventually they decided upon what they dubbed, ‘The Hakin’ Kraken’.

   “It wasn’t a slow progression, it was a spur of the moment thing,” said Emerson Goza. “Usually, it’s based on ideas on top of ideas, on top of ideas, and eventually you get a finished product.”

   The final sculpture uses a creative design that depicts a Kraken crawling out of a computer screen, which was somewhat difficult for the team to make. By the end of the competition, the team was able to bring home the two awards. 

   “I was very surprised,” said Emerson Goza, “because it’s very difficult to place in the top 3 and also get the spirit award because it’s given to the team that goes through the most problems.”