Macalester College Top Questions

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Most attended spectator sport is soccer. Other than that, few sports get much attention. Personally, I'm involved in club ultimate frisbee and there are many other school/club teams to get involved in I rarely locked my dorm, although there is an occasional theft, not from students though, mostly people who wander onto campus. As far as dating, there are a number of couples on campus, but not quit like the nearly catholic schools where many are a "ring by spring"

Frisbee, Soccer, Football, your average liberal arts college activities. No one activity dominates the extra-curricular scene, whatever your interested in you can find!

There is plenty to do on campus, and all of the social clubs are very active. The stats on the lack of spirituality are unfounded as many people here have a very spiritual side. The Jewish population is very large here, and MJO is very active. There are plenty of theatre, dance, opera, and symphony opportunities off campus. Sports are not very big on campus, because they are not very good, but people do participate in varsity, club, and intramural sports. We have a huge rivalry with Carleton College in Northfield, MN socially, academically, and athletically, and those games are the most popular. There is plenty of things other than drinking to do due to the proximity of the campus to Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Grand Ave runs directly through the campus and there are nice restaurants and shops that students frequently visit.

No frats or sororities, but have many close off campus houses where parties occur. There isn't really any exclusion at these parties, which is pretty cool. There also are international houses (Spanish House, German House, etc.) and themed houses (EcoHouse, Veggie Coop) to choose from. Pretty easy to find illegal substances

There are many things to get involved in, whether on campus or in the Twin Cities. There are no fraternities or sororities. If you are awake late on Tuesday, you are definitely studying or writing a paper.

Social life is average with a few parties on the weekends and life in the dorms is fairly tamed. Traditions are not a big part of school life and there is no greek system. Like many places your friends tend to be those people you lived near in the dorms your freshmen year.

Lots of clubs on campus. Life is pretty much between staying on campus or venturing out via bus or car. No other way out.. The Twin Cities are cool, but the college is on the borderline between Minneapolis and St Paul and is basically located in an affluent white neighborhood

The international student org, the asian student alliance, and the south asian student organization are some of the largest on campus. Debate and Model UN are popular, along with faith-based groups. Theater is popular - you probably know someone in the play, so you'll go. Depending on the department that brings them, guest speakers tend to be pretty important too, especially during our international roundtable weekend, put on by the international studies department. Dating here is hard. We're small, so gossip spreads fast; if you break up, you probably have the same friends and things can be awkward. I'll say again - very small. Personally I have a significant other from one of the associated colleges - it makes life a lot easier, even if everyone does still know your business. There are no frats, and most of us don't want them here anyway. Depending on who you are and what your major is, you could party every night of the week and get away with it - but you're more likely to wait till Friday and Saturday. The party scene gets stale after a while, which is why I wish younger students had more access to other students and campuses elsewhere - you can't expect too much from a small school, but what's there is fun because it's familiar. If you're sober, you can walk down Grand and catch a movie at the Grandview Theatre, go out into the cities for a movie, play, show, whatever you want (the music scene is phenomenal) - you can do anything, really. You're not in the middle of nowhere, so you've got lots of options, if you care to look for them.

There are parties, but not very big or good ones. School orgs put on dances at least once a month, but they don't get too crowded even though they can be fun if you just go with your own friends. Mostly freshmen go to these, I think What gets super crowded are the shows that MAc puts on, like music and dancing. They are a lot of fun.

Big drug scene. A lot of alcohol flows on the weekend. Mostly house parties that get too crowded, or lame dances that get too sleazy. A lot of partying and social opportunities in the city. On weekdays, a lot of random hanging out. Especially when the days are warmer, it is common to see students chilling on the grass until early hours of the morn, shisha-ing, smoking, drinking, playing the guitar, or just talking. Fraternities and sororities nonexistent, thank heavens.

Not too many big parties, but people throw small parties with their friends all the time. There is usually tons of stuff going on around campus, but the activities are sometimes boring. People are usually working very hard during the week. On weeknights, the library is always packed, but on normal weekends, it is less busy at night, when people tend to party.

Mac is a small, academic community. People sometime lament the party seen, saying it is too tame. There are always dorm parties on weekends, however, and often bigger ones off campus. The government throws frequent dances or other social/cultural activities on Friday and Saturday night, and attendance is big. Students are friendly and leave dorm room doors open. Dating is hit or miss - there are some couples who got together their first week of school and are still together now. Some people date and date and never make anything stick. Others engage in lots of random hook-ups, with no commitment. You certainly don't have to drink and party heavily to have fun, though there is a lot of drinking on campus.

Soccer games are probably the most popular events at Macalester. They take the place of football games at most other American schools. However, there are several other events that have a high turn-out, including the African Music Ensemble concerts, and occasionally dances. Most of the closest friends I have were from my residential first-year course. I lived with them and related with them through the class and other experiences. However, I gained many friends from other areas, as well. Most of them are from classes or extracurriculars. The dating scene at Macalester is incredibly flawed. For some reasons, students are afraid to approach each other and attempt to start a relationship. A majority of relationships seem to begin under the influence of alcohol. Something is holding Mac students back, and no one knows what it is. There is no greek life at Mac, at there is little to no desire for it. Parties, dances, and social events seem to come in pulses. There are some weekends where nothing is going on, and others where so much is going on, one doesn't know where to start.

There is a lot going on.

Sports, while definitely not Macalester's strongest area, are fun campus activities. Actually, it is probably because Macalester is not generally excellent at sports that the games are enjoyable, because they are not high-stress situations. Football is laughable, but soccer and track are decent, along with club sports like ultimate frisbee and hockey. The African Music Ensemble always performs to a packed auditorium, as do the acapella groups on campus. Every weekend there is usually some sort of event - music, theater, art, or a more academic lecture. Cultural organizations often host dances and socials, most students stop by for a few sweaty minutes of dancing, and then go off to do something with friends. The dorms are very social places, especially certain strategically located floors, and most people are content to party in the dorms, and then move off campus to other parties. People tend to be night owls here, whether they're studying, or just enjoy staying up. Macalester operates on a spectrum - with kids who drink 4 or 5 nights a week on one end, and kids who never drink on the other. Most people lie somewhere in the middle, but PLENTY OF PEOPLE DON'T. I have yet to hear of anyone complaining about not being able to find like-minded people with respect to alcohol or drug use, in fact I think this helps people meet new people and find friends. Since classes run monday through friday, most people only party hard on friday and saturday nights, but it all depends on the individuals and who they spend time with. Drugs and alcohol are easy to come by, but also easy to say no to. The nice thing about the twin cities is that most artisits who tour nationally stop here, and the shows are fairly cheap and usually don't sell out as fast as other cities with bigger metropolitan areas. Transportation into Minneapolis (where most shows are) is cheap and pretty easy to do by bus or light rail.

The most popular groups are probably environmental groups such as MAC Cares as we love hugging trees and follow Al Gore. I am a leading member of the Muslim Student Association. During Ramadan, we pray together and that's about it. If I am awake at 2 am on a tuesday, that means I have issues with my wednesday classes. If it's a saturday and you don't want to drink, then you might as well sit with Iowan kids, talk about Huckabee glory and christology. It will be the worst night at campus but they hey, you asked for it. Off campus, I try to find food to eat as I get very hungry every late night.

Some popular activities on campus include macalester democrates, Macalester international organization (MIO) and other international organizations. Parties happen almost every weekend but they are lowkey and usually in houses surrounding campus. If you want to drink you can but you won't be pressured to if you don't want to. Games and pizza are popular pasttimes for those who want to be sober as are the technodances, the annual International Show, and mattress stealing (don't know how they get them but it is pretty funny)

The coolest part about Macalester is that, unlike many other liberal arts schools, students can go off campus into an urban atmosphere. While it is sometimes hard to find time to go into St. Paul or Minneapolis, it is nice that the option exists.

Its a 60-40 rate of people who live on and off campus. There is an event on campus every weekend and always something to do in the cities. We are wedged right in between Minneapolis and St. Paul. Soccer games are a popular night out starter. As a player the fans are great. The signature cheer is "drink blood, smoke crack, worship satan, go mac!" Pretty good huh? The social life at Mac is very eclectic. You can almost undoubtedly find your own niche.

too much to do, too little time. don't like the on campus activities? go off campus.

In general, Mac's social life and social activities are varied and generally effective. Parties happen, but are not as prevalent as they could be. It's definitely possible to avoid alcohol if you want to - I did - but finding a party on a Friday night (Or a Thursday night) is pretty easy. Although Mac doesn't have any kind of greek life, the role of fraternities or sororities tends to be taken over by sports teams (particularly the Ultimate Frisbee and Rugby teams) and the three a-cappella groups.

Dorm life, especially when coupled with a residential first year course, was a great experience for me. The majority of my friends are the ones who lived on my floor during my first year, but I have also heard stories of people who felt that their floor was too cliquey. It is difficult to meet new people sometimes, especially after the first semester when social groups are set. Coming back sophmore year, with everyone living in different places, helped me meet more people. There is no Greek life, but there is always a party to go. The majority of kids drink in the dorms, although RAs can be strict. Off campus parties are generally hosted by upperclass Mac students, and almost always get busted.

Not a party school at all, but still a lot of fun. Great memory: Being piss-drunk standing around a keg in an upper-classmen dorm room debating effectiveness of international development policies. That is a Macalester moment in a nutshell!

Everyone is friendly and laid back. Students are always outside playing some sort of sport during decent weather. There's always a student activity held by student orgs every weekend.

Athletic Events are not very popular, but I think the administration is trying to change that with the building of a gigantic sports facility. The soccer games are fun. Club sports are where it's at. Rugby, hockey, frisbee, that sort of thing, not so serious but really fun. Theater is strong, I think the plays and dance performances are well attended. My closest friends I met gradually, starting with my freshman year floormates and then just meeting people through other people. Dating is okay. . . . it's kind of a frustrating scene because it's small and the studious nature of people makes them awkward. The men are actually kind of aggravating and asexual. But by the end of college I think most people have had some sort of interesting dating. I always party on Friday and Saturday, there is most often something going on, if not it's easy to just hang out with friends. There's also always something going on in Saint Paul or Minneapolis so concerts and art events are also a good option. There are no frats or sororities.

There is no greek life, which I love, and I do not find it to be detrimental to the social scene. Lots of people party/drink/do drugs, but it is pretty easy not too and totally accepted. There seems to be less dating and much more hooking up, but that may simply be the nature of college.

soccer is by far the most popular sport, both men and women's...students are by and large willing to go out, but they need someone to push them to going out. the best parties are house parties, but in the winter those can be few and far between. most people do not have boy friends or girl friends the first few years, but that changes by the end of junior year.

PARTY!!! haha. just kidding. Only on the weekends. Well, sometimes every night. And then I grew up and couldn't drink til I passed out every night. I had a blast: smokes doobies under the bleachers and had BBQs on the roof. Not every one parties. Some people don't ever drink until they turn 21 or not at all. You'll find the whole spectrum. Oh! And there are tons of student orgs! I loved CHEEBA (creating a harmless environment to enjoy buds appropriately) with all my high little heart. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for. Students & faculty are all about volunteering and giving back to the community. It looked really good on my resume.

If you're looking for a frat scene, this is not the place to come. Dorm parties were the norm the first two years since everyone lives on campus and house parties often drew people into the neighborhood more. As junior and senior year approaches, people tend to gather in smaller groups for potlucks and more intimate gatherings. There are some very weird themed parties such as the grafitti party, red light/green light party, and underwear party. Awkwardness seems to run rampant and is only heightened by the fact that everyone discusses how awkward some situations are.

Dorms are the center of life for the first two years because everyone is required to live in them, and people in the dorm become quite close. At 2 am on a Tuesday most people are doing homework (or sleeping) but with the knowledge that they can chat with their neighbor once in awhile who is also working. In terms of activities, there really is a great diversity. Many people are in MIO (Macalester International Organization) or on the Legislative Board, on Model UN or other organizations, I can't really say there is any sort of hierarchy because people find what they like and everyone respects the different choices of individuals.

Soccer games and hockey games are very popular a and fun to attend. Sports is generally not a huge deal at Mac, though with the new athletic facility they are becomming bigger. There is always something to do every night, whether it be a lecture, a concert, a party or a gathering and you can always walk a block off campus and go study with a friend at the local coffee shops or take a bus to Minneapolis or the Mall of America.

Most sports teams here don't get a lot of attention, club sports do, however, as do most of the almost inane number of student organizations on campus. I'm in Macalester Peace and Justice Committee. There are so many student orgs though, something will appeal to you, be it martial arts with weapons or ballroom dance. There are no fraternities and sororities. This is awesome. I don't drink alcohol (I know, *GASP*) or do drugs of any kind and I always have things to do on weekends (besides homework). A huge group of friends of mine (10-15) will often go out to eat on Saturday nights, sampling a different ethnic cuisine every time, and hopefully visiting a part of the city we've never been to before. Of course, if partying is your thing, you'll have plenty of people to do it with. Also, a group of us went streaking across the campus and back in -40 degrees... I got frostbite on my fingers... it was great.

Unfortunately, this was my problem in high school--I didn't get involved in enough. This first year has really been about adjusting and learning efficient study habits. I will volunteer regularly next year, so I look forward to that. There are tons of opportunities for volunteering. The dating scene? Many of the guys on campus seem a little socially awkward, but not all. And it doesn't mean that the other guys aren't dateable, I'm just saying. All of the gay guys are really cute, so that sucks for me. :] If you want to party, you can and if you don't , then that's fine, too. NO GREEK LIFE and I am glad!

The freshman dorms have 3 distinct personalities. In Turck, and generally on halls for residential courses, doors are often left open and people spend their free time in the lounge hanging out, and people plan to hang out there even when they move out. In the gender-segregated Doty, things are a little calmer. People do all sorts of things on saturday evening. Last night I went to a three hour African Music Ensemble concert and then went to bed. Some people go to parties in houses off campus, especially sports teams parties (closest thing we have to frats).

Different ethnic groups are popular, as are political, environmental, and activist groups. There are clubs for just about anything. And, if there's not a club for what you want, you can always make one. These days, the male to female ratio of campus' often weighs down on the female side. This makes dating, especially for heterosexual women, difficult. We get a lot of guest speakers and presentations, which is cool. Students aren't supposed to leave their doors unlocked. Ususally, if we leave the dorms, we lock the doors. But, if you're just down the hall, or in the lounge, it usually isn't necessary.

Social life is centered around campus, and we have over 80 student organizations. However, many people go off campus since we are in the Twin Cities. There are parties and events that students like to attend. Since we don't have a Greek system, students take their social lives into their own hands.

We don't have fraternities or sororities but the athletes fill that role anyway. Soccer games have a huge cult following and are far more popular than our football games, though, those have been gaining importance lately too. The dating scene, or lack there of, goes like this: people meet drunk at a party, hook up, and then either avoid each other or are suddenly "dating." Actual dates are a rare occurrence before the couple is exclusive. Weekends consist of house parties off campus (because Residential Life is rough) and going to bars, once you're of age.

MacCares and MPIRG are some of the more popular student orgs on campus. The african music ensemble, and the Trads and Sirens (acapella) usually draw large crowds to their concerts. Other more obscure orgs include KAADATT, which holds dance parties in the basement of Dupre Hall, CHEEBA, which organizes its efforts around legalizing marajuana, and WMCN, the Macalester College radio station! The college brings a lot of great lectures to campus, which are frequented by students and faculty alike. There is drinking. On a Friday or Saturday night, it is not uncommon to see people stumbling and singing drunken slurs in the courtyard. The Grate is a place where everyone that smokes can go when it is cold out. It's really great to get off campus on the weekends as well. There is good public transit, and a lot of things are within walking or biking distance.

Many many organizations and things to do. What we need more is time to do everything. Being close to the cities, increases a lot the opportunities of internships, offcampus jobs as well as the entertaining opportunities.

We don't have fraternities or sororities on campus (if you want that sort of shit, go to the fucking U) and we are definitely NOT known for our varsity athletics (football team is shit, although our track, cross country, and soccer teams are pretty good, let's give credit where it's due), so the most popular teams are extra-curricular or random-ass social organizations (Scrabble Club, anyone?). I'd say that guest speakers are quite a bit more popular than athletic events, mostly due to the caliber of speakers we've been able to secure over the years (Spike Lee and fuckin' Kofi Annan?! Are you kidding me?!). Oh, and don't let all this talk about how great the academics are throw you off about our lifestyles: Mac students know how to get our drink on. Since our campus is pretty small (two blocks), most of the parties are house-parties and usually end-up with people having heated debates about the relevance of anthropology in the medical field be or, ya know, which Hogwarts House you'd end up in (yes, I've actually had both conversations). If you're not into drinking (but seriously? It's COLLEGE), there's always the Twin Cities that have tons to do on any given night. St. Paul is more home-y and residential, so you can go to a coffee shop and just chill or maybe hit up a cool antique book store or haberdashery on Grand Ave. (an AMAZING place if you like cool independently run shops). Or, if you like to go clubbing or hit up a show at a theater, Minneapolis is just a short bus-ride (or car ride) away. The best thing about living in the Cities is its great variety of entertainment, especially its music scene - probably the best in the Midwest. I LOVE music and concerts, so this is my heaven.

In the dorms, particularly the first year dorms and residential course halls, there is a strong sense of camaraderie. Many doors are open, many people are in the lounges, and folks are usually eager to be distracted from work. There is a pretty large minority of students who do not drink, and there is no lack of activities for them, from dances to potlucks to concerts. I did not drink on campus until after my 21st birthday (which is admittedly unusual), and I never felt any pressure to drink. Ultimately, that choice is your own and Macalester is all about respecting personal choices.

Fraternities and Sororities do not exist! We often forget about that. The fact that there are no frats says quite a lot about the mindset of Macalester. It's not a party school, but you can party all you want. You may have to make your own party if you're looking for something fun during the week. Or on weekends. Some students study all weekend, some students go to the theater, some go for long bike trips, some cook fancy stuff, some go volunteer at organizations they've fallen in love with, others go dancing or visit every gay bar in Minneapolis. Some go dumpster diving! There are lots of people at Macalester and they all do different things on Saturday night. But many, as at any college, drink and listen to music and talk and party on Saturday night.

Macalester offers the full range of varsity sports as well as intermurals. There are also a ton of different student organizations. New students are always able to find some type of extracirricular activity that interests them. The party scene is nothing notable. There is no greek system at Macalester. House parties still happen, though not as often as some would like. Lots of the social life comes from hanging out with the group of friends you make over the years.

The international orgs on campus are the most popular and put on the best shows, dinners, and dances. The sports teams are also super-popular, and even if our football team is a joke there's still track, cross country, baseball, volleyball, soccer, rugby, and water polo (among other things). Theater, dance, and music are surprisingly good, considering how small the departments are, and the quality of the art majors' senior show is always awesome. All the environmental and political orgs on campus have tons of folks and tons of energy, they never seem to get tired of mobilizing and protesting and making concrete changes around campus and in the Cities. Most of the events on campus fill up quick, be they guest speakers or games or prformances, and a lot of times it gets problematic because there are too many things going on at once. I wish mre people went to the dances, though, I just don't think it's in American culture to dance as much as I'd like to! Dating is kinda ridiculous, we all kinda cycle through everyone else's rejects because it's such a small campus, which just feeds the gossip mill. It's not just hook-ups, though, which is nice, people really do seem to want to get to know one another on an emotional-intellectual level. It's definitely a very attractive student body, so there's no lack of options, and there are lots of other colleges in the area if you wanna break out of the Macalester bubble. You meet people through classes, through dorms, through parties, through orgs, but I feel like my closest friends were the girls who lived near me freshman year, who've known me from the beginning. There's not a whole lot to do party-wise except on the weekends, but usually one of the sports teams and someone from the international crowd, plus a few hipster kids, are always hosting a kegger or electronic dance aprty in their basement. We don't have Greek life (thank God) so there's not quite the same culture of drinking, it's never really a big deal for folks who don't drink. The best school-sponsored shindig is Founder's Day, which happens every March and involves the entire campus, profs and students and administration alike, getting dressed up and dancing drunkenly to a live salsa band in the campus center. There's also Springfest, which is a day-long music festival with free beer for the 21+ crowd and lots of good local bands, and the international talent show is always amazing. And every year starts and ends with a free campus-wide picnic, which is really nice. Off campus, I'm always at a show at First Ave or Fine Line Music Cafe or the 400 Bar, or at Theatre de le Jeune Lune or the Guthrie or the Playwright's Center, all in Minneapolis. There are also frequent protests and parades and pride days in the Cities, which are a lot of fun. It's crucial to get into the Cities as much as possible so you don't suffocate on our tiny, 4-block campus.

I was captain of the women's rugby team, which has been one of my favorite parts of Macalester. Rugby is a club sport, so we only practice twice a week (instead of varsity sports that practice every day), we have games on Saturdays. Many of my close friends are on the rugby team, and the whole team often hangs out outside of practice or games. One of my favorite parts of rugby at Macalester is when we all go to dinner after practice and we are all covered in mud and we sit together at a big table in Cafe Mac. It's always lots of fun. There are usually lots of things to do at night at Macalester. There are often movies on Friday at Saturday night at the Campus Center, there are sometimes dances, there are music and dance concerts, and some plays. You can always find something to do and people to hang out with whether or not you want to drink.

sorry, but its too long and I have no more time.

there is no greek life- there are parties but this is a drink if you want campus, no one will be forced or expected to go out and party there are always tons of other things to do. Events are well attended (music, concerts, talent shows...). During the week most people study with breaks to socialize (dorm doors are often propped open) and breaks for orgs- most people ar involved in at least one club if not several.

There is no social life, people are desperate to eick out a living, getting by with two-three lame parties to choose from, at times nothing at all.But no don't worry there are wonderfull people at macalester you are bound to meet fantastic people and make life long friends, just no wild college life to tell stories about.

Athletics are more popular than you'd think; Macalester students aren't nearly as nerdy as I expected. I met my closest friends through students orgs and by living near them. The dating scene is sad. Girls lament that all Macalester boys are either gay, gross, or have a girlfriend--maybe they're picky, maybe they're not, but that's insulting. On the other hand, I met my current, long-term girlfriend here.