The clock struck noon and time “froze” on Iowa State’s Central Campus on Monday.

As students from all different majors, ages and groups gathered on Central Campus, the strike of the Campanile signaled the moment.

Holding their poses for exactly two minutes, hundreds of “freezers” stopped in every position imaginable. A sword fight with sticks, a football game, a phone call and even a game of tug of war all froze in time.

Passersby observed with expressions of curiosity and confusion.

“I had no idea what was going on,” said Dan Sepich, sophomore in pre-business.

The freeze was the first of a hopeful annual holiday called “Freeze Iowa State.”

The new holiday was created in an attempt to complete a “make up an obscure holiday” assignment in a first-year Honors Program course. The assignment grew into a much larger event and the students are now hopeful that “Freeze Iowa State” can become an annual holiday that will draw an even larger crowd in the future.

Curtis Ullerich, junior in computer engineering, was one of many at the head of the creation of the holiday.

Ullerich, who participated in the freeze himself, was proud to see all the students who made it out for the event.

“We created a Facebook group and even had 1,600 people RSVP,” Ullerich said. “It was so neat to see such a showing of student involvement. We were very pleased with the turnout.”

Esther Vanoostenrijk, junior in mathematics, saw information about Freeze Iowa State in the Iowa State Daily and also has friends in Honors that helped coordinate the freeze.

“I’ve seen other schools do this sort of thing, too. It sounded fun so once I heard about it, I volunteered to help recruit people. I think this is a cool way to raise school morale and unite the student body,” Vanoostenrijk said.

The University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa were both scheduled to initiate simultaneous freezes at noon Monday as well.