Lake Superior State University Welcomes Spring with Burning of the Snowman

The unofficial end to old man winter happened on the Lake Superior State University campus Monday evening.

The 52nd Burning of the Snowman took place less than one hour after spring officially arrived on the calendar.

LSSU began the ritual back in 1971 to celebrate the end of winter and mark the start of spring.

Before the snowman was torched, there was a poem read by the Laker “Compass” Club, then people were encouraged to write down something negative and deposit it in a box that would go up in flames with the 12-foot pile of flammable “snowballs.”

“I think it’s really important. First and foremost, it’s nice to have a tradition like this on the campus. When we are able to share it with the community, I think it makes it all the more important,” Michael Beazley, Dean of Student Affairs, said.

After the burning, there were refreshments with a live band in the bottom level of the Cisler Center.