While some students spent the day off curling up with a cup of hot cocoa watching Netflix, four brave friends decided to venture outside and construct an igloo on Old Main Lawn.

Students Hank Haley, Ryan Voyack, Kevin McDermott, and Cody Kubenik started construction of the igloo around 1 p.m. on Tuesday. According to Voyack, the project took roughly six to eight hours of work to complete, but a lot of the time was spent guarding their work so no one would knock it down. Shoveling snow out of the way made up a large part of the task, as well.

None of the friends had ever attempted to build an igloo or any type of snow before, so the group drew inspiration from McDermott’s sister — she once began to make one when she attended Penn State several years ago. However, the university shut down the operation partway through. Luckily for these guys, no university officials decided to intervene this time.

According to the group, many passing students asked to take shelter from the cold once the structure was officially complete. An estimated 40 to 50 people were inside the igloo at some point during the day.

The igloo was roomy enough for about eight people to occupy the space at one time. It also included some extra features like a hole in the back to allow greater air flow and a small ice cooler to keep beverages frosty.

The friends knew that while the igloo was large, it probably wouldn’t survive the night without someone knocking it down or natural caving. Earlier in the day, they actually discussed camping out and staying inside the igloo overnight. However, they decided they could not pass up the chance to sleep in their own beds after today’s arguably harsh weather.