A Glimpse at Carleton’s Student Organizations

by Julia Luljak

Features and Arts Editor

These brief profiles are intended to showcase the wide range of student organizations that were present at the Activities and Involvement Fair, on Thursday, September 23. These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Magic the Gathering: 

Liam Etelson ’24, President

JL: What is your club?

LE: The Magic the Gathering Club. Last year, a lot of us reinvigorated the club because a lot of current sophomores play, and a lot of freshmen have expressed interest. Magic is a trading card game that is played both online and in-person—we mostly focus on the in-person aspect, as there is an awesome community surrounding it.

JL: Do students need any experience to join?

LE: No. On sixth weekend, there will be an event specifically for new players, but all of us would be interested in teaching new players at any point. 

Green Thumbs (a subset of the CCCE)

Maya Feldberg-Bannatyne ’23,  Program Director

JL: Could you give me an overview of what you do?

MFB: We go to Greenvale Elementary School and work with second and third graders with increasing literacy surrounding sustainable agriculture practices and healthy food choices. One time, we brought pumpkins and talked about different parts of fruits, how they work and seed ßtransportation. We do a lot of things vaguely surrounding agriculture. 

JL: What made you want to lead this club?

MFB: We are surrounded by farms, here in Northfield, yet there is a big disconnect between the agricultural industry in this area and the students who go to Greenvale. I find it interesting and fun to help bridge that gap between them. 

Korean Student Association

Yemi Shin ‘22, President

Isabella Cha ‘23, Member

JL: Could you give an overview of what you do?

IC: Our club is for Carleton students who are interested in Korean culture; not just Korean students, but everyone who has an interest in Korean food, K-pop or K-dramas.

JL: What would you say to students who are interested?

YS: Everyone is welcome, you just need to have an interest in learning more about Korean culture.

The Righteous Babes Waterpolo team

Nathan Yax ‘21, Member

JL: Can you tell me a little about the team?

NY: We play water polo and have a lot of fun. Most of us are people who have not played in high school and just started playing at Carleton. We go to tournaments, play pool games and sometimes drown each other.

JL: What would you say to encourage people to come to practices?

NY: If you like fun and unicorns and a little bit of water, you will probably like it. And if you want a rainbow unicorn speedo or swimsuit, come to water polo!

Carleton Advocacy Network of Doulas

Sarah Redmond ‘21, Vice President

JL: Can you tell me about what you do?

SR: We are a group of abortion doulas who have volunteered with a couple clinics in the cities in the past. The role of an abortion doula is to sit with the patient during the procedure and provide emotional, informational and physical support. We have been inactive for about a year, so we have been trying to rebuild, gauge interest and see how the clinics can use us, because things are a little bit complicated [post-COVID]. 

JL: What would you say to students considering joining the club?

SR: If you feel like you are someone who is good at supporting others, providing empathy, remaining level-headed in what is a really hard moment for a lot of people and you just want to provide that sort of care, this is a good place to start. And it’s a great way to get involved in some reproductive rights issues.

The Pied Pipers

Kelly McGucken ‘23, Member

JL: Could you tell me what your club does?

KM: We are the student-run chamber orchestra of Carleton. We play famous selections, classical pieces, movie soundtracks—things like that. There is usually a skit that accompanies our concert and costumes that we wear while we play. The concert is usually around seventh week.

JL: Do you need any level of experience to participate?

KM: If you play an instrument, you can join. We will take as many people as we can get! We rehearse once a week. It is very laid back, so if you have to come late or miss, that is okay with us.