Carleton College Top Questions

There are always activities on the weekends, parties if you're into that kind of thing, plays, sub-free parties, and movies if you're not. There are almost always people to talk to in the lounges, Sayles, etc., even at 3 AM.

No frats but weekends have plenty of parties. "Sayles dances" (i.e., dances at the campus center) are popular for the underclassman -- less so for juniors or seniors. There are a good assortment of publications, theater groups, sports teams (varsity and club), and what not to keep people busy. Broomball is big. Frisbee is HUGE.

Carleton loves traditions. We have Schiller, RotBlat, the Beer Mile, 420 triathlon, Ebony, SUMO, and many many other events. There are definitely plenty of sober activities every weekend night (star gazing with our one-of-a-kind telescope, bonfires, concerts, weekend movie theater, Dasie Moses' Cookie house, puzzles), but in general, Carleton students like drinking. Room and house parties are in abundance, and there is always an excellent music show going on somewhere with a dance floor to forget about all your homework on. There is no Greek life at Carleton, which is wonderful. Most Carleton students are adamantly opposed any form of Greek life. We like to be more original than that.

Popular groups: a capella is extremely prevalent on campus, as are hip-hop dance groups, IM sports, and other various clubs. Doors open: only if they're in their rooms; occasionally some punk high school student will come and steal something, but theft won't be a problem for you unless you're completely naive. Closest friends: through repeated classes together and/or they're floormates. 2am on Tuesday: using computer/doing homework. Traditions/events: streaking, the mysterious appearing bust of Schiller, Primal Scream (wherein everyone screams out their frustration before exams). Fraternities/sororities: there are none.

There's no real pressure to drink or smoke here, although the majority of students do at least one of those activities. There's very little theft here, and security is a non-issue. There are a bunch of traditions here (streaking, Rotblatt), but they're not exclusive to upperclassmen. Plenty of activities are available for those not at parties on weekend nights, while those who do want to party can always find a good time.

Activities range from those sponsored by the school to those run by student groups, to informal events organized by individuals. School sponsored events like late night breakfast (the night before finals) are mostly traditions and are usually really fun. Students don't have much school spirit as far as athletics are concerned though a fair number of people play on sports teams. The school brings in art exhibits, musical performers, and guest lecturers. These are well advertised and pretty well attended. Student groups like a cappella and improv comedy are very popular, and when they have performances, the entire campus turns out. Partying mostly happens on Friday and Saturday nights. There is no Greek life here, but people know how to have a good time.

One of the most popular all-campus events is EbonyII - a dance performance comprised of a very wide variety of dances, ranging from serious to silly, hip-hop to ballet, large to small. It happens three times a year, three shows each time and every show is full to the brim! Socially there is almost always something going on - with early birds and night owls, a 24 hour computer lab, and tons of student spaces, there is always somebody around. Dorms vary from year to year, sometimes with close floor-mates other times with some more individuality, however there is always some sense of community should anybody seek it out. Some of the best school-wide traditions happen around finals time. Late night breakfast is the night before finals start. Staff and Professors serve a tasty breakfast at 10pm, and when 10 rolls around there is the primal scream - everybody just yells and basically vents the stress from the term that is building to a peak by finals. The nature of the campus is that there is always something going on, something for everybody, and people who seek out activities and people they are interested in will find them.

Activism is big on campus, but contrary to popular belief, not everyone is involved. Usually you can find the same group of activist-minded people at every event, which can get a little frustrating. That being said, the campus makes an effort to do a lot, which is commendable. However, a lot of the time it feels like what we do is inefficient because there are so many groups, we end up competing with each other, and St. Olaf, the other college in town.

Carleton students are involved in a huge variety of activities. Volunteer groups, political organizations, a cappella groups, bands, intramural sports... Athletic programs are not particularly strong, but there are still many committed athletes. For weekends, there are many activities that don't involve drinking. There are always concerts, plays, or movies that are well attended. The highlight of the social scene is campus-wide dances held in our equivalent of a student union. Students are very supportive of each other and go to performances and games to support their friends. Drinking at Carleton is very low pressure. Drinking on weekday nights is extremely rare because the academics make it almost impossible.

I met my closest friends from my floor last year, from screw your roommate(blind dates), and from classes. You can party as much as you want or not at all. if i'm awake at 2am on a tuesday i'm watching a movie or talking to my friends. last weekend i cooked with my friends, went out with my boyfriend and watched a movie.

Ultimate frisbee is often cited as the most popular activity on campus, though MANY do not participate. Club sports are quite popular, as are intramural sports. Students leave their dorm doors open when/if they would like (or wouldn't mind) people dropping in. Athletic events are not well attended, likely due to the amount of energy devoted to other academics and extracurriculars. Guest speakers, including the Convocation speaker hosted every Friday in a time slot reserved for whole campus attendance, are not often taken advantage of - by students or staff. Theater is well attended within the theater community, and better attended if a production of the theater department is being presented. Dating is difficult, as the community is so small, and so many people quickly know about personal developments as public information. Breaking up is therefore difficult as well. Many LGBTIQ students feel that dating for them is almost impossible. The spatial isolation of Northfield contributes to this a lot. My closest friends are friends of friends, in similar groups, or participants in one-time activities (retreats ...) I am sick if I am awake at 2am on a Tuesday morning. Traditions/events include Midwinter Ball, a chance for students to dress up and show off (often under-developed) social dance skills; Rotblatt, a drunken baseball game that lasts all day; Spring concert; WeSpeak (Black Student Alliance performance to close up Black History Month); God is a DJ, Heaven&Hell (organized dances); and Halloween. People party in general on the weekends, though in the spring, partying takes on new dimensions as seniors get ready to leave and the weather becomes bearable again. Fraternities and sororities don't exist on this campus. Last weekend, I went on a retreat with Posse, a national organization that prepares students from urban centers (in this case, Chicago) for elite institutions and provides them with the necessary academic and interpersonal structures to help them finish (strongly) once there. The point of the retreat was to discuss social responsibility. I left early to get some work done and then spent Sunday night at an AIDS house in St. Paul, making dinner for the residents with two other students.

Carleton social life, like it's student body, is diverse. There are those who do party every weekend, but if you don't want to party, there's so much to do, every night. If I'm awake late at night on a Tuesday, there are three things that I'm probably doing: 1. Finishing a problem set due in 6 hours. 2. Blowing off the problem set to talk about the relationship between Spinoza's God and the natural world. 3. Blowing off Spinoza to trying to decide who the best Super Smash Brothers character is while eating a waffle at Sweet Lou's Waffle Bar. I get the Jesse James, with chocolate and raspberries, and go with Ness. Couples that form are usually long term, but if you want to find flings, they're to be found. The only scene I'm not aware is the traditional "do you want to go on a date" scene. People usually date people they've known for a while; couples that weren't friends before hand, or at least good acquaintances, are rare.

Hands down the most popular activity at Carleton College is Frisbee. As the college president said on my first day at Carleton College, "It is our goal to teach everyone how to toss a Frisbee." For more academic activities, there is a convocation every Friday, where a respected individual gives a speech. Sometime, these individuals are quite notable such as Sally Ride. Another important note on Carleton is that it is tradition-laden. Whether it seniors blowing bubbles from the balcony of the chapel during opening convocation, set-up your roommate night, Midwinter Ball, DVD Fest, Halloween Concert, Midnight breakfast during finals, or Spring Concert, tradition has a large place at Carleton College.

When it is -40F outside, your broomball game will not be cancelled. ULTIMATE FRISBEE. There is a lot of drinking, and the age limit is not enforced on campus. Not drinking is a lot easier to do if you live on a sub-free floor. Mutual respect between drinkers and non-drinkers keeps everyone happy.

2am on a tuesday: running a radio show, in the cmc finishing up an assignment, going for a late night run, watching a movie with friends, playing games in sayles, hanging out in a lounge Fraternities/sororities: there aren't any. Last weekend: games, sayles dance, karaoke, movie

The most popular teams on campus are probably the Carleton Ultimate Frisbee team (or CUT, for short) or maybe the hockey team. Anytime any team plays St. Olaf, though, the stands will probably be completely full. I play for GoP (Gods of Plastic), one of the non-CUT ultimate frisbee teams. We don't take the sport as seriously as CUT, but still train year-round and are very competitive in the spring (we usually make it through Sectionals to Regionals each year). I met my closest friends either through one of the teams I play for or through my dorm. The floors in my dorm are really small, so you get to know everyone (even the upperclassmen). Plus, our IM ultimate frisbee team did terrific. If you're awake at 2 am on a Tuesday, you're either writing a paper in one of the 24-hour computer labs, having a beer in your room, or, most likely, you're hanging out in your dorm's lounge and talking about some really terrible TV show you're watching.

most popular groups: Ebony- the dance team (huge range from people of absolutely no experience to very talented dancers!), ultimate frisbee (again, ALL levels!), writing for the Carl- the campus magazine, lots of others! students don't leave their doors open, but there's a very welcoming feel in the dorms- people hang out in lounges and feel comfortable knocking on other peoples' doors athletic events range in popularity: lots of people go to the hockey games but it is a club sport, not varsity. basketball, swimming, and soccer are among the most reputable sports here, but there is a wide range of sports offered! I met my closest friends through golf, and then through my golf friends... start small and then branch out as you continue to take different classes and attend different parties etc. 2am: STUDYING people actually party alot here- you can always find something going on during the weekends no greek life saturday night that doesn't involve drinking: go see the improv comedy group, go to an a cappella concert, eat dinner at hogan bros, study, hang out with friends and watch movies etc.

Im a baseball player and a musician in the band. I get a diverse group of people to interact with because of that, although those groups are diverse as well, especially band. If im awake at 2 am Im playing videogames, watching a movie, or working. People party fairly hard on Fridays and Saturdays, and sometimes Wed because they dont have class on Thursday. And sometimes randomly we party regardless of the day.

1. I tend to associate with athletic groups. 2. Football. 3. Yes. 4. Athletic events are moderately popular. 5. Guest speakers and theater draw bigger crowds than sporting events for the most part. 6. I don't date. 7. Athletics. 8. Homework. 9. Rotblatt. 10. People party on the weekends and occasionally go out on the weekdays. 11. I don't know of any frats/sororites. 12. Spent time with friends. 13. Video games, homework if you are really swamped, movies, board games. 14. I usually go to movies off campus, go bowling, eat in town, drive to the cities, or drive home.

Football is a big commitment but still a lot of fun. The games aren't normally well-attended. Dating is very much based on circumstances, since you meet many people in classes but don't branch out. Partying is definitely an option. Last weekend I saw a Latin play over at St. Olaf. Saturday I went to a party in my room. There are often plays or music concerts one can go to, or one can just hang out.

Carleton is filled with activities of every conceivable kind, and people participate at pretty high rates across the board. Students write for tons of publications, from newspapers to policy journals to hastily pieced-together gossip rags; they organize and attend numerous performances, workshops, and symposia on wildly divergent topics; they advocate for non-profits and community organizations at the local, state, and national levels. The student government makes all of this a bit easier by chartering and funding most any group. If there's interest, it's doable. As for social life, parties, weekends: Carleton is a lot of fun. It's frowned upon to charge for alcohol at social events - in practice, almost no one does it - and as such there's a kind of karmic system in place where it's assumed that all will be equal in the end. The free booze is representative of the whole scene in general; there's a welcoming and non-aggressive vibe that stands out.

Senate, ultimate frisbee... i can't think of things today. i love frisbee, it's so much fun. everyone can find a team to play with whether it's an intercollegiate team that does really well at nationals or an IM team where people have never really played before. people leave doors open. athletic events are popular among a certain group, but not everyone. we get god guest speakers and theater events. carls date other carls. my friends i met through activities i do or from my first weeks at school and now i meet people through those friends. and from a study abroad program i was on. i am studying if i'm awake at 2am on a tuesday. or watching a movie. traditions: new student week before classes start with just new students on campus (and the campus leaders who run it), late night breakfast the night before finals every term with breakfast at 10pm or so and games and music to unwind, DVDfest which is national but pretty big, spring concert with a great band outside behind the rec center every spring term, rotblatt - a huge softball game where everyone has to have a cup of beer in their hand and they bat and play with the other hand, the bust of schiller which was stolen from the library a long time ago and has been shown at events frequently throughout the year since and has been held by many different people but it's generally kept pretty secret and everyone wants it. people party every weekend usually, but most will dedicate one night to studying and the other to having tons of fun. not everyone and it of course depends on the weekend. NO FRATS! IT'S AWESOME!!! i went to a swimmer party last weekend. things to do on saturday night without drinking- SUMO movies that are sometimes not even out on DVD in a big lecture hall on both fri and sat night, lots of speakers and shows that come to campus, studying, going to lots of events planned for that purpose. i go into town for food sometimes and shopping, but usually the great things to do are in the cities, 40 minutes away.

For some reason, ultimate frisbee is the sport here.

I am member of the improv group the Harriers. We have about 3 weekends of shows a term and they are always well attended. The Carleton community is very good about coming out for student performances. People really like to support their friends. I would say dance groups like Ebony II, improv and acapella always have well attended performances. I met my closet friends on my floor freshmen year or through people I knew from my floor. I also made a lot of good friends when I did a Carleton seminar aboard in Spain. The floor communities at Carleton are very small and you can almost always find someone hanging out in the lounge. People are Carleton really don't date. You are either in a very serious relationship or you are hooking up. There is not really an in between. Carleton loves traditions. We have Spring concert, Roitblatt, Late Night Trivia, Superhero party, Late Night Breakfast, Mustache club, and I am sure some I am forgetting. There are lots of Sub-free activities on the weekends. I am a Sub-free RA so I compile a list each week to talk about at study break. It is never short. There are always performances to attend, movies shown for free on a big screen by the student group SUMO and you can always just hangout in Sayles and play ping pong or pool.