Professor Jake Allee teaches ceramics and 3D Design here at Mesa State. Last week Allee turned a routine lesson into a hands-on outdoor experience for his students. The snow had covered the ceramics class work area, disrupting his plans. Allee had seen the snowman out in the area between the Fine Arts Building and Wubben Hall and Science Center. It inspired creativity in his class.

So with 10 plastic construction buckets, his students who range in majors from psychology, graphic design, biology, ceramics, studio art, English and visual arts administration, set out to replicate a model of a Japanese kiln called an Anagama. It would traditionally be built out of tatami bricks, which are “wider and taper,” according to Allee, instead this class would be using snow.

“(It) came together quite well, the beginning was tough,” said Rex Halterman a transfer student who said this was the first time he participated in this type of project and said he was enjoying it.  Building the Anagama for senior, Jacob Thaden was a challenge he accepted immediately to see how their structure would fair compared to other things constructed in the area.

“The base took the longest,” Allee said. Junior Onyx Clypeek said the finished project was “a lot taller than anticipated.” They both agreed that the arch came naturally to the snow kiln, which was a parabolic arch according Allee. The kiln also has a smoke stack and a wood hole area where the fire can be stoked which were two elements that were included in the recreation.

Chase Freismuth who was not enrolled in this class but who knew members of the class decided to help. Jared Ricks, a senior had an easy explanation for why anyone not in the class would stop and help out which is because it was: “fun and you get to play outside and throw snowballs,” Ricks said. “People think it’s a really easy major, but I have four times as much work in it than my science classes,” Ricks said. The outdoor project was fun for junior Amie Hayes is because it helped her “burn calories.”

Overall, the class took an unfortunate situation and turned into a whole new set of opportunities.