It is late Friday afternoon, and many students are hurrying off of campus to weekend activities, but Kevin Barry, sophomore physics major, is working furiously on a snow sculpture on Kafadar Commons. The sculpture consists of three alto-relievo snowmen holding signs in silent protest. The signs say, “NO V = IR.” Two bas-relief snowmen stand behind them offering quiet support.
A few people stop to ask about the sculpture and its meaning. Barry explains, “They’re snowmen on strike . . . against circuits.” He continues, “It is my protest against circuits lab, but I have to stop protesting because lab starts at four.” That explains the engraved slogan opposing Ohm’s sacred law. Anyone who has endured late afternoon courses on Friday afternoon can sympathize with Barry’s frustration.
This public outburst of creativity is not Barry’s first. Last year he constructed a sculpture on the IM field. He honed his skills making sand castles and working with ceramics. “I would go to the beach and 8 hours later, I would have an entire medieval village.” Now at Mines, Barry expresses his frustration with the lack of opportunities for creative outlet. He believes it would benefit the school to offer art classes to supplement the curriculum. Perhaps the day will come when artistic creativity is nurtured at Mines alongside technical creativity. The snowmen will stand as a reminder of the many talents within the student body hidden under memorized equations until that day arrives – or at least until the weather warms.
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