Hand-to-hand combat was waged on the Parade Ground last night between students, but the weapon of choice was new to most students.
Carefully sculpted balls of ice – otherwise known as snow – were used to pelt friends and neighbors as the field was transformed into a winter wonderland.
Two tons of snow were dumped on the Parade Ground as part of Snowin’ in the South, an event sponsored by the Residence Hall Association.
Amy Scales, RHA chief of staff, said Snowin’ in the South was designed to bring Southern students a taste of what a snowy winter is like.
“It is not common in Louisiana to have snow, so we thought it would be great to provide students with it,” Scales said.
For freshmen Brettany Bell, Mariah Magee and Shakeila Bazile the manufactured snow provided a chance to have a good-spirited snowball fight with each other.
“We are not used to the snow so it is a good experience for us,” Bell said.
Throughout the night the three students hurled snow from one end of the crowd to the other, striking each other in the head and body with snowballs.
The three women walked away from the event wet from direct hits, but enjoyed the experience.
“It is something new for us,” Bazile said. “We do not usually get snow here.”
Nearly 200 students attended Snowin’ in the South to throw, play in and sculpt the snow.
Monty Aghazadeh, RHA programming director, said as well as providing snow for students, the event was designed to relieve stress that is associated with upcoming finals.
He said the excitement that came with snow will help students calm down before finals.
“It is just good to experience a snowy atmosphere,” Aghazadeh said. “There is a special atmosphere that comes with snow.”
The snow was created by Sno-Mobile, a company that shaves snow for parties.
Sue Muller, Sno-Mobile owner, said three machines produced the two tons of snow onto a 30-foot by 30-foot tarp.
Muller said the three machines churned out a half-ton of snow in 10 minutes.
Scales said she would like to make the event a yearly treat for students before final exams.