A Carleton Love Story: Traditions Explained Through Taylor Swift Lyrics

Maybe you’ve heard about some of the traditions at Carleton, but what are the vibes of these events? What song can you imagine playing in your ears as you traverse through the paths of Carleton? As a swiftie who has listened to Taylor Swift’s full discography many times over and has select seasons for listening to certain albums, I am here to give you my best representation of the vibes of each term’s traditions through Taylor Swift songs. 

FALL

The Frisbee Toss: “You’re On Your Own, Kid” (Midnights) 

In my mind, this is the moment you officially become a Carleton student. All freshmen gather around the bald spot on move-in day and toss a frisbee into the center, then run to grab another person’s frisbee and deliver it back to them. Now you’ve made a new friend, obtained your physical representation of your first day at Carleton, and participated in your first tradition. All the while, families stand outside the circle to watch and cheer. It’s the send off from your parents to the college: you’re on your own now, but you’re also not – you’re a member of the Carleton community! How exciting!

Family Weekend: “The Best Day” (Fearless) 

Of course, different circumstances mean not all families can come – but if you’re worried about homesickness, family weekend is a great opportunity for your loved ones to come back and visit you, taking place the weekend of fall midterm break (the 6th Monday). As opposed to move-in day, you’re all settled in now – you know (basically) what’s going on and get to show them around the place that’s becoming home. There are a variety of different events around campus for families to enjoy, including arboretum tours, game nights, and music showcases (see last year’s schedule here). It’s so cute to see people walking around with their families; I would say it’s one of the most wholesome Carleton events. 

First Year Fall Day/Fall Fest: “Holy Ground” (Red) 

Obviously I had to include a song from Red for the fall-themed events. This song is full of nostalgia (emphasis on “I was reminiscing just the other day” – I reminisce about freshman fall every day) and the guitar sounds like running into a giant pile of leaves, making it the perfect song for celebrations of fall. First Year Fall Day is planned by your class representatives as a way to meet other freshmen. At mine, we made tote bags and drank delicious apple cider! Similar but open to all class years, Fall Fest takes place on the bald spot and is hosted by different campus offices, with more apple cider and other fall-themed activities like pumpkin painting to fulfill any romanticizing needs. 

WINTER

Midwinter Ball: “New Romantics” (1989)

Maybe your classes are throwing some metaphorical bricks at you. Taking place during winter’s midterm break weekend, the midwinter ball is the best opportunity to release your stress and have fun dancing with your friends while also looking glamorous. It does give some homecoming/prom vibes, but it’s also definitely an upgrade from high school dances – I mean, did your high school have live salsa and swing dance bands playing (and offer dance lessons beforehand)?  I was too insecure to wear my prom dress my freshman year, but when I realized my sophomore year that this was the closest I would get to going to a real-life ball like the movies, I went all out – it was totally worth it.

Date Knight: “Blank Space” (1989)

Admittedly a basic song, but a good one. After all, a blind date could end up going really well… or not so much. Date Knight takes place the weekend of Valentines Day, where your friends can set you up on a blind date and the campus hosts a variety of different activities like dance and a cappella showcases, pickleball at the rec, and comedy shows. Awkward, maybe, but also fun! It was my first date with my now boyfriend (awkward definitely), but even if no sparks fly (get it?), it’s more common to make a new friend than to go down in flames!

Dacie Moses’ Birthday/Dacie Moses House: “Sweet Nothing” (Midnights) 

The sweetest, most comforting song for the sweetest, most comforting place on campus! Imagine this song but you’re singing to chocolate chip cookies instead. When school gets stressful, the Dacie Moses “cookie” house is my favorite place to go to relax and grab a sweet treat (read more about the house here). We still celebrate Dacie’s birthday in the wintertime each year with special a cappella performances and treats!

SPRING

Farmstock: “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” (Debut) 

A tradition hosted by Carleton’s Farm House has to be matched with a throwback to Taylor’s country era. Farmstock is a music festival to hear student bands perform (see Sproncert for more concert opportunities) and eat food made by Farm House. I can’t think of a better way to spend a nice spring day than lounging on a picnic blanket outside with your friends and good food, listening to music created by a bunch of people you know! 

Rotblatt: “I Wish You Would” (1989) 

This song mentions 2 am three different times, which feels fitting for this tradition as many Carleton students will line up at 4:30 am to get a free Rotblatt T-shirt – often not going to sleep until after obtaining the shirt (if you think this sounds crazy, you would be correct). Rotblatt is Carleton’s annual softball game with one inning for each year of Carleton’s existence. After shirts are distributed, the first pitch starts at sunrise. If you still want a shirt and value your sleep, you can always buy one earlier and get it at a reasonable time. I’m not super into the softball part, but I love seeing everyone wearing their shirts the next day! 

Sproncert: “Daylight” (Lover)

A song that is the embodiment of sunshine for one of my favorite spring-into-almost-summer traditions, Sproncert is our “spring concert” at the end of the term where we bring in a bunch of local Minnesotan artists as well as some bigger headliners for an all-day-long concert with food trucks, Kona Ice, and fireworks at the end. It’s definitely one of the most anticipated events of the year and another excellent excuse to be outside (totally not neglecting your homework) in the Daylight, especially after the “twenty-year dark night” of Minnesota winter!

“Dear Reader”, if you made it to the end of this blog post, you are “Bigger Than the Whole Sky!”