While there are many ways that I get to know Carleton students — working with CSA, being interviewed by The Carletonian, going to sports events and performances — there is no substitute for getting to know students as students, in a classroom. I was glad to have the chance this fall to teach a five-week course, Fictional Worlds, that I first offered here in 2022.
Mapping the varied ways in which twenty-four students grapple with different readings and ideas over time, sharing their thoughts in class discussion, written assignments, or office conversations, provides a deeper window into the unique intellect, experience, and energy that each student brings to our campus. I appreciate the great connections students draw across a range of literary works, visual media, and historical contexts they were familiar with from other courses. As president, I often talk about how intellectually curious Carleton students are — it is wonderful to experience that first hand as a professor.
I also love opportunities to see Carleton students exercise their creativity in less formal settings. At my annual Halloween Open House, I thought that this year’s costumes were among the most creative I’ve seen yet, with a lot of students collaborating on group themes, like Scooby Doo, the Beatles, Star Wars, Mario, and some videogame characters I have to admit I didn’t recognize. A number of students said that they had created their costumes with materials provided at the Makerspace in Anderson Hall, including a group that constructed a large horse for two people out of fabric and cardboard, which was appropriately accompanied by a member of the equestrian team.
These last few weeks I’ve enjoyed talking with a number of students who were participating in the campuswide game of “Spoon Assassins,” in which players are assigned secret victims they need to “kill” by hunting them down and tapping them with a spoon. I have gathered that it takes a lot of plotting, hiding, and help from your friends to stay alive. Much of the carnage was recorded on Instagram, with daily pictures of “the fallen” and sympathetic replies like “RIP, gone too soon.” At the organizer’s request, I made a cameo appearance in a short video last Saturday naming and congratulating the finalists as they embarked on the final round. With more than 300 players having taken part, I am impressed as always at the energy and commitment of Carleton students in pursuing something absurdly fun on top of all the work that needs doing at this point in the term!
Featured in Carleton Today, November 14, 2024