admin – Carleton’s Traditions over the Decades

Winter Carnival

This is a long standing tradition dating back to the 1930s. It has fallen off a little bit in the recent years, but there were significant revitalization attempts in 2021, when ice sculptures were featured at Sayles during midterm weekend! This carnival tended to include ice skating, sculpture carving, a chili cookout, and human bowling.…

Farmstock

This is an acoustic music festival held every year towards the end of the spring trimester featuring student bands. It started out in 1979 as a giant picnic sponsored by the Folk Music Society, but has morphed and is now held as a performance with anyone able to perform. It is usually held at the…

Opening Convocation

This is the first convocation ceremony of the year and occurs on the first day of the academic year. During this ceremony, the dean’s list is announced, honors students are recognized and school year updates are given. A guest speaker then gives a convocation address. This tradition began in 1978, but was predated by mandatory…

Synchrony

Both a dance performance and one of the first student-run dance groups at Carleton, Synchrony II’s forebear Ebony II was a dance troupe of Black students founded by Debra McCray, who first performed as part of Black History Month in 1973 (Synchrony II 2016). Over the following decades, Ebony II expanded its scope and membership,…

Hour of Power fundraiser

Hour of Power is a tradition that started in 2006 in response to the passing of Ted Mullin, a swimmer on the Carleton men’s team, due to sarcoma, a rare type of cancer. This event is held once during the Fall term each year, at Carleton and now at 170 other schools, too (Carleton College).…

Late Night Breakfast

At 10 PM the night before finals each trimester, Carleton faculty and staff serve students breakfast and snacks in LDC! This is a beloved way for students to take a break from studying to enjoy some good food and each other’s company. Sources: Image: Unknown Creator. “President Poskanzer Serving Late Night Breakfast.” c. 2015. Carleton…

Mid-Winter Ball

Mid-Winter Ball is a tradition that was started in 1981. This event occurs once a year on the Saturday night during Midterm Break in the middle of Winter term. Originally started as a Viennese ball, the event is now pretty much just a fun opportunity to dress up and go to a party with your…

Bubble Brigade

This tradition started as a joke in 1970. In this tradition, the senior class blows bubbles down at the faculty members as they enter the chapel. The faculty members were expected to be dressed in full academic regalia as this happened at the presidential inauguration. Since then, it has become a tradition as a way…

Rottblat

Rottblat was started in 1964 as a men’s intramural softball league. The tradition, started in 1967, calls for a softball game with the number of innings equal to how long Carleton has existed (well over 100) to be played once during spring term. The game must begin at sunrise in order to be able to…

Schiller Bust

The Schiller Bust is a plaster bust of a German poet. This bust was being held in Scoville Library reading room until 1957 when classes began in that building. That year, Bruce Herrick found the statue abandoned in a storage room and took it with him to use as a room decoration. The statue was…

Author: admin