Finding Love at Carleton

Love is in the air at Carleton!

Valentine’s Day is here and one of my absolute favorite Carleton traditions just happened last night: Date Knight. Date Knight happens once every year, and it’s a chance for each student to be set up on a blind date by one of their friends. Most dates end up being platonic but every once in a while you hear about people finding love through Date Knight. So I’m here to answer all of your questions about Date Knight while I show you what it was like this year. 

What is Date Knight?

Date Knight is so much more than just being set up on a blind date. After finding out who your match is, the Student Activities Office hosts a bunch of events for you and your mystery date to attend. There’s always performances by student acapella groups, comedy troupes and some kind of dance lessons. It makes it a lot less awkward to get to know someone when there’s a ton of different activities you could be doing.

How do you find your match?

First of all, you can’t get set up without your approval. You need a friend on your side and a friend on your date’s side to both agree and fill out a form to approve the match. You will get an email confirming that you’ve been set up. On the day of Date Knight, a nametag will appear in your mailbox with things that go together (For example, you might have peanut butter looking for jelly). At 7 pm, you arrive at the Great Hall with your nametag and find your match (in this case, jelly looking for peanut butter). Once you find your match, you’re free to explore any of the events!

Do you have to be set up?

You definitely do not have to be set up if you don’t want to! All of the events are open to all Carleton students, regardless if you’re officially registered or not. Also, lots of people get set up with their partners or one of their friends, so you definitely do not have to stick to the blind date aspect of the event if that sounds like a nightmare to you. 

Why is this your favorite tradition?

Date Knight is really a special time to see students come together, regardless of how awkward everyone feels. I did Date Knight blind freshman year and even though it was nerve wracking, I met a friend! (and we now have a really funny origin story to tell people). At a small school, it can be easy to stick with the people you know, but Date Knight forces you to get out of your comfort zone and meet something new. Plus, I love when love is in the air 😄

Kate (she/her) is a junior History  and Theater double major from the Bay Area, California. She loves Carleton’s artsy community, and is involved in the Vocal Studies Program and occasionally the Experimental Theater Board when her fight choreography skills are in high demand. Kate’s favorite places on campus are the practice rooms, either in Myers or the Weitz, where she can sing or play the ukulele. She loves the campus during all the seasons but thinks nothing could compare to the beautiful colors of Northfield in the fall. When not in class, you can find Kate either petting the nearest cat or forcing her friends to watch bad movies in a study room.