<st Carleton students migrate away from Northfield for the summer, ostensibly leaving behind a barren campus until classes resume in the fall. But those who actually stay for the summer revel in the more relaxed atmosphere.
“I had a blast,” said Evan Dusenberry ‘12. “It was a dream for a while to be in the Carleton environment without the stress of a school workload… It was a big party, not necessarily in the biblical sense, but it was constant fun.”
It wasn’t just Carleton students keeping Northfield lively this summer; over 60 high school students injected the campus with youth and developed their writing skills in the Summer Writing Program. “Carleton in the summer is an ideal venue for this type of college-immersion program,” said Joe Concannon ‘13, an assistant for the program. His colleague Kelly O’Brien ’12 said, “They all developed a connection to the campus and to the professors… There were a lot of tears at the graduation ceremony.”
Thirty-four Japanese students from Chuo University arrived on Carleton’s campus full of ethusiasm.The students absorbed American culture and practiced their English. “They were super enthusiastic, incredibly excited, and also extremely curious,” said Cari Hanrahan ‘12, an assistant for the program. “They absolutely loved America and Carleton.”
College-student females from across the country convened in the CMC for the NSF-funded Summer Mathematics Program for Women. Forty-eight high school students learned about research in the Summer Science Institute. In the Carleton Liberal Arts Experience, African American high schoolers spent a week exploring the breadth of the liberal arts.
A visit by the few dozen 2010-2011 Watson Fellows provided the biggest surprise of the summer. The Fellows, chosen from 40 selective colleges, had spent the previous year on fully-funded adventurous trips around the world, such as examining the role of bicycles in a variety of countries or playing traditional music in eastern Asia (Andrew Terwilliger ‘10). The Fellows convened at Carleton to share their yearlong experiences with each other. Appropriately enough, the Watson Fellows resided in Watson.
Carleton students with jobs on campus also kept the campus bustling. Students served as research assistants in a variety of departments and manned the college’s infrastructure—the library, bookstore, and post office. Admissions Fellows interviewed “prospies” and led their families on campus tours. When off the job, students floated down the Cannon, ate at barbecues, and explored Northfield.
The summer began to wind down with the late-August arrival of athletes, Resident Assistants and other peer leaders with orientations.
But with three days left before classes start, Dusenberry was clear: “The summer party is not over yet.”