By Joe Rubingh
The Spirit Police have begun to patrol campus, sporting events and other campus activities to promote WinterFest 2012.
The Spirit Police started looking out for school spirit on Tuesday, Feb. 7 and will continue doing so until Thursday, Feb. 16.
Any student caught wearing NMU apparel or showing school spirit in some other way by the Spirit Police, a group of students part of the Special Events Committee, will be issued a ticket.
The tickets can be redeemed for prizes like a WinterFest T-shirt or mug, supporting this year’s theme “The Ice Age.”
“It’s a way to celebrate and get ready for WinterFest,” said Sarah Muellerleile, head of the Special Events Committee.“ And get people hyped for it.”
If students gets pulled over by the Spirit Police and is issued a citation, they can bring their ticket to a certain location to redeem their prize.
The locations and the times when you can redeem your ticket can be found on the WinterFest website.
“Basically, if the Spirit Police catch you showing school spirit, they will give you a ticket,” Muellerleile said.
If students don’t get a ticket, they can stop by the Student Enrichment Center located on the first floor of University Center and buy a WinterFest T-shirt for $8 or a mug for $4.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Spirit Police, you have to be a member of the Special Events Committee.
“It’s really easy to join and anyone can do it,” Muellerleile said.
WinterFest events continue throughout February. There’s a broomball tournament, airband competition, comedians Tracey Ashley and Pete Lee will be performing and a snow sculpture competition, just to name a few.
The U.P. 200 Sled Dog Race is also a part of WinterFest and there is always a big crowd to watch the dogs run through Lower Mattson Park.
A campus-wide game of Clue will be played as part of WinterFest.
Somewhere on campus, the Special Events Committee will hide a medallion and every night from Sunday Feb. 19 to Thursday, Feb. 23, a clue is released until a team finds the medallion.
For more information on any of these events, visit www.nmu.edu/winterfest or keep your eyes open for posters around campus.
