<ir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-4c0a21ad-e8e5-b68b-86f1-4409aeb9bb4b">As I watched parents wander around campus this past weekend, going on all the various tours, I wondered if they were seeing the real Carleton. We are such a complex campus, that I have a hard time believing that the important things could be encapsulated in one tour. I also believe that tours can be deeply personal. We each experience the campus differently and have places that are special to just us. When you lead a tour, even if it’s just a casual one for a friend, it can be hard to decide what to focus on. What are the things we value about Carleton? Where are the things on campus that should be proudly displayed? Here are some nifty ideas for Carleton College tours:
- Go to every place you’ve ever cried on campus. This should get you a good range of places.
- All the best places to nap. Or, all the places you have seen someone napping and been really impressed they could fall asleep there.
- Try going to all the places that are seared into your brain from awkward experiences. For example, the Bald Spot is a good place to give a demonstration of waving to someone who doesn’t see you. If your tour is really awkward, you can claim that it’s giving them a first-hand experience.
- A tour of the comfiest spots on campus for studying or cuddling.
- Walk around and point out all the places you fantasized about dropping out of college. For example, there’s a beautiful view in the arb where I always look out over the trees and fields and wonder “what am I even doing.”
- Go everywhere you’ve almost died getting in the way of frolfers. This also should take you all over campus. Alternatively, you could go everywhere on campus where you have almost been run over by a biker.
There are, of course, many more ways through which to view campus. Hopefully this humble list will inspire generations of tour guides to come.