Winter Traditions

Hi everyone!

We are finishing 6th week here at Carleton, meaning that we are now over halfway through the ten-week winter term! The 6th week of the term at Carleton begins with a midterm break, giving students a long weekend to relax and catch up on work. I spent my weekend doing a bit of both (although I might have spent a little more time relaxing…).

Today, the wind chill is in the negatives in Northfield, making it feel very cold outside. In order to stay warm while walking to class, I wore layers, as well as a hat, scarf, coat, and mittens. There is also a lot of snow on the ground, as we got a surprise storm last weekend. Although it might feel cold outside, Carleton makes the winter worth celebrating! Some of the best traditions here revolve around winter activities.

First, last weekend Carleton had its annual Midwinter Ball, open to all students. Students can dress up nicely and dance the night away… in fact, the dance is held in multiple rooms, each devoted to a different style of music. This gives attendees the option of doing a more formal style of dance, or instead jamming out to student DJs. A lot of people use the dance as an opportunity to bring guests, go out for a nice dinner beforehand, or simply celebrate reaching the halfway point of the term.

Other winter traditions at Carleton are more outdoorsy. Right now, there are two ice rinks set up on the Bald Spot so that students can ice skate or play broomball, a popular winter sport here at Carleton. In all honesty, I am not quite sure how broomball works as I am not particularly athletic and have never played it. I do know, however, that a lot of students participate and even set up teams to compete against one another.

B(arb), the Arb, also has ski trails right now, so people can cross country ski on campus. I have not tried it yet given that I am from a warm city and have never been skiing, although I hope to try it before the term is over. If you’re like me and do not have proper winter gear for activities like ice skating and skiing, don’t worry! You can easily rent the items that you need from the Rec, located near the entrance to the Arb.

Another popular winter tradition here at Carleton is traying. Traying is essentially sledding, although instead of using a traditional sled, students will borrow (steal… shhh) trays from one of the dining halls. A popular traying spot on campus is the hill at Bell Field, conveniently located near the LDC, which is steep and perfect for sledding.

If you are not interested in outdoor winter activities, the Dacie Moses House is a great place to get away from the cold. The Dacie Moses House is a campus house famous for its cookie reputation! Students can go inside at any time and bake cookies, as the house is always stocked with ingredients. Sometimes, there will even be cookies left over from the last batch that was made.

Winters in Minnesota are not so bad when they are spent at a community as warm and welcoming as Carleton’s.

Andriana

P.S. Here is a photo of the snow from last weekend. I was not expecting to get so much!

Andriana is a native of Richmond, VA, and is looking forward to starting her freshman year at Carleton. She is especially excited to experience the Minnesotan Tundra first-hand and learn what the phrase “polar vortex” really means. When Andriana isn’t busy staying warm, you can find her binge-reading, playing music, or watching a favorite movie or show for the umpteenth time. She is hoping to double major in International Relations and English, while also reminding herself to keep an open mind as she begins her college career. Meet the other bloggers!