Summer at the Cookie House

This year, I decided to stay at Carleton for the summer and work on campus at the Dacie Moses House. Dacie’s, affectionately called the “Cookie House,” began when Candace Moses, a Carleton parent and staff member, moved into the house in 1922. Known for her incredible kindness and love of Carleton, Dacie opened her house to the greater Carleton community, inviting acapella groups to practice in her home, playing cribbage games with students, and hosting brunches every Sunday morning.

When Dacie died in 1981, she left the house to Carleton with the wish that it be a home where all students could find comfort and community. Dacie’s is such a treasured part of our community: students go there to bake cookies, meet friends, and hang out— Sunday brunches are still the best part of the week!

I was so excited to work at Dacie’s this summer, not only to learn more about its history but to find a community myself. And I certainly did! Dacie’s is primarily student-run, and I worked alongside another student to help upkeep the house, cook and bake for brunches, and host events for alumni reunions!

My favorite event was our pie baking contest: eleven groups made pies (in total, we had about 20 pies!) and the Dean of Students Office came to judge and enjoy pies and homemade ice cream with us.

Near the end of summer, we also started hosting movie nights which ended up being so much fun! We always ended up with way too much popcorn and other snacks and stayed out on the porch chatting long after the movie had finished.

During my time at Dacie’s, I also…

• Burnt a lot of cookies! (I think there’s something wrong with the oven… definitely wasn’t me…)
• Got a bad farmers’ tan while weed whacking
• Got big huge strong arm muscles from cranking the ice cream machine
• Ate so much fresh food— amazing!
• And met a lot of friends, both students and otherwise!

If you get the chance, you have to stop by our Cookie House!

Ren (they/them) grew up catching salamanders, recklessly climbing trees, and running around barefoot in the Appalachian Mountains in a small town in North Carolina. They are a junior double major in art history and studio art, and love spending time in the arb, Sayles Hill Campus Center, and the Weitz Center for Creativity. Ren is the co-president of Carleton’s QuestBridge chapter, and also works with other equity programs on campus.