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HOUGHTON -- Hours without sleep, in freezing temperatures, working on the most intricate parts of the statue, when your hands are nearly numb.

That was the scene at Michigan Tech shortly before sunrise on Thursday as students focus on time consuming details, like last minute ironing, getting Jell-O, wax or wood letters to stay in place and finally placing ice, which students hope will catch a judge's eye.

"It turned out really well," said Delta Zeta Sorority sister, Brittany Labinski.  "We've changed it a little bit.  Even today we were changing things.  We thought we would look better or worse."

Fatigue sets in as groups contemplate how much more they'll be able to finish before heading in for a much needed nap.  And even with the best of intentions, not everything worked as planned.

At the Army statue, which has a Wheel of Fortune theme, the students were hoping to make a mini wheel that looks the big wheel on the show.  But the ice wouldn't freeze in time, so they had to settle with just a round statue for their description.

"Now it looks like a bird bath because our ice pegs didn't end up freezing in time; they didn't turn out," said Army ROTC Cadet, Shane Sinda.

Still, their snow convertible might turn some heads.

But in the end, only the students will know they left some ideas out, because to most spectators, the 50 statues are remarkable works of art.

For the final statue results from Winter Carnival, click here.