A Hit-Fit Friday | St. Olaf Connections w/ TRIO- Zumba and a meal
By Alyssa Guzman ’27
On Friday, April 11th, St. Olaf College’s TRIO SSS program hosted us for a fun afternoon. TRIO students participated in an hour-long Zumba session led by a St. Olaf sophomore instructor.
To make sure Zumba would bring us together, we started with a round of introductions from both St. Olaf and the Carleton group. Although Carleton TRIO brought reinforcement through student participants, and professional Zumbaists–our lovely Fatima and Neil. Together, we danced through many songs across various genres under the instruction of a St. Olaf student. They gave us the disclaimer that there was no way we were going to leave the room without sweating, which was an understatement. As songs changed, so did the levels of intensity. With every beat drop, we worked another part of our body, and got down with the moves until we could sweat no more. The event not only allowed us to end Week 2 with a workout, but also to learn some of the dances the instructor held close to him. After our workout, the new Carleton Zumbaists went to Stav Hall to enjoy dinner with each other. So after a meal filled with conversation, Carleton TRIO students made their way back to campus to enjoy the rest of their day.
Fiesta Fridays
Fiesta Friday #1: Experimentations with Desert Pizza
By Heidi McKim ’26
TRIO kicked off Spring Term on Friday, April 4th, with Fiesta Friday #1, “Dice and Delights,” hosted at the TRIO house. The event provided an opportunity for students to de-stress from the first week of classes and engage further with others in the TRIO community, as well as their peer leaders. Laughter could be heard throughout the house as games like UNO and Life elicited playful competition and friendly banter. The delights included “dirty cookies,” fruit pizza, and rolled-out croissants with Nutella and either fruit or a combination of salty chips and pretzels.
The event demonstrated TRIO’s desire for all to feel welcome in the space and for the TRIO house to be seen as a space that students can come to when they need a break or a safe space to be. Keep an eye out for future events next year, and enjoy all your TRIO social event
Fiesta Friday: Ice Cream & Games
By Gloria Kossigan ’26
As a well-deserved close to Carleton’s Week 5, and the start of the Mid-term break, Peer Leaders planned an outdoor day full of ice cream, lawn games, and blankets to celebrate. But when strong chilly winds blew through Northfield, those activities, and the day as a whole, seemed on the verge of collapse. Although the weather wasn’t feeling us, we didn’t let it get us down. TRIO Peer Leaders pulled out some indoor games & activities and continued to have a blast.
If you took a walk through the house, every room was full of TRIO joy! In the living room, Peer Leaders & mentees played an intense game of Giant Jenga with special rules attached to each block pulled (such as closing your eyes the next turn, using your non-dominant hand, or solving a brain teaser). In the dining room, students gathered around the dining table and spent time talking about their days and relieving their week’s stress with peer comfort and hilarious talks. Finally, in the kitchen, magical ice cream creations were made. With an assortment of toppings and ice cream flavors, students had a blast combining flavors and trying new things out. A lot of us also discovered the beauty of chocolate-flavored whipped cream, a novelty to many of us.
In short, despite the cold weather, TRIO First-Years and Peer Leaders still had an amazing time showcasing TRIO ingenuity and resilience! Some students even embraced the chilling winds and committed to playing a game of corn hole outdoors.
Study Breaks
Pop & Chalk on a rainy Day
By Norman Colindrez ’25
Our peer leaders were excited to bring out the chalk and head outside to draw messages and art like “TRIO #works,” or Heidi’s fabulous swan. But with cloudy skies and a bit of rain, everyone stayed indoors instead.
That didn’t stop the fun; peer leaders and attendees gathered in the living room, sharing stories, enjoying popsicles (including the Cherry Bomb Extreme and a few tangerine favorites), and chatting about their spring term and summer plans. Nathan shared his excitement for his EMT training during the summer, and many of the first-year students asked for advice for fall term registration. Despite the weather hiccup, we were glad to pivot quickly and enjoy a great time together.
Dress to impress with cupcakes.
By Norman Colindrez
Study Break #1 fell on a rainy day, so for the second time around with Study Break #2, the day was nice and warm, with some occasional breeze. The event included chocolate and vanilla-flavored cupcakes with a variety of frosting, toppings, and little eyes that you can put on top of the cupcake to create silly faces. Students decided to create identities for their decadent treats. Francisco asked Norman for a name for a pink-frosted cupcake, and Norman thought Bartholomew was an appropriate fit. Many other students were gleeful, lying back and frosting their cupcakes. While doing so, many reflected on the year and started discussing things they were excited to do for the summer. A particular student shared the news of being selected for the TRIO graduate school visit in New York during the summer, and both of our peer leaders found out they would be in London around the same time for their OCS during the fall. Overall, seeing the community take part in the creative process of making cupcakes and coexisting is what makes Carleton feel like home.