Via Email
A Love Affair with Frisbee
I attended my 50th reunion last June.
One of the first things I did was go to the Carleton bookstore in search of Frisbees emblazoned with the names of Carleton’s Division I Ultimate Frisbee teams: CUT and Syzygy.
My longstanding love affair with the Frisbee began in my mid-teens in the early 1960s. The plastic flying disc was not yet available in Canada, where I’m from, but a friend’s relative brought one from Michigan during a visit. I was attracted immediately to the way the Frisbee flies, or rather glides, in an arc distinct in its variability from the monotonously parabolic flight of a thrown ball.
Years ago, I was delighted to see that Ultimate had come to Carleton, and amazed when our tiny school produced NCAA Division I championship teams. I watched Team USA play Team Canada in the finals of the World Ultimate Club Championships when Team USA was captained by Carleton alumnus Alex Nord ’01.
One reason I decided to attend my 50th reunion was to fulfill my fantasy of playing in a pickup Ultimate game on campus. But when the time drew near I got cold feet. How presumptuous for an old guy like me to ask to play. As it turned out, I needn’t have worried. We were a small group, mainly alumni from the Class of ’13, and we played five on five instead of the usual seven on seven. I surprised myself by scoring five times, three on throws, two on receptions. I had the time of my life.
So, I have two requests: start selling Ultimate team discs in the bookstore and schedule an Ultimate pickup game for all classes at the next reunion.
Finally, always remember the words of George Bernard Shaw: “We don’t stop playing because we get old; we get old because we stop playing.”
—Marty Spencer ’68
Via Instagram
Via Twitter
What issue of the @CarletonCollege Voice are Ben Wyatt and Leslie Knope’s wedding pictures in?
— Double Double Mohel and Trouble🔥 (@Pale_0ntologist) October 14, 2018
On my first date with @jockeyethefish in the fall of ’94 at @CarletonCollege, we threw frisbee in the hallway. Can’t say enough about the fantastic culture of ultimate there. 🙂 https://t.co/W4anKCjQXI
— Ren Caldwell (@seachildwarned) October 13, 2018
@TheKrattBros Hi! I’m Karah, I’m a student at Carleton and I’m being Chris Kratt for Halloween bc you’re a Carleton alum and Zoboomafoo was my fave show growing up! @CarletonCollege
— don’t karah bout it (@karahhaug) October 31, 2018
@CarletonCollege Congrats! You’ve made the Dean’s List on #peta2‘s Vegan Report Card 🎉 Keep the great vegan options comin’, fam! 💪🌱 https://t.co/ieXy0Cq1Cs
— peta2 (@peta2) October 11, 2018