Last Monday, April 20, marked the second Carl Day event and heralded the descent of 300 more kind of weird high school students to Carleton College’s campus. Over both days, many made passing remarks about how the kind of weird high school students blended in with the kind of weird college students that attend this institution, and vice versa. 

This was extremely prominent in the case of Fi Styar ’29, whose Jansport backpack and, of course, lanyard, matched many of the visiting students. In Styar’s 3a, which was visited by several new students, the professor turned to her expectantly after each new student said their name, despite her extensive visit to office hours the previous week. 

Later in the day, Styar found herself in the Weitz for a music lesson at the same time as the majors and minors showcase. As she tried to escape the crowded atrium, she found success in following a family in a particular rush, the Puschers. Mr. and Mrs. Puscher were visiting with high school senior child Ollie, but had also brought along their two other children, including a daughter currently in 10th grade, to get them thinking about college. As the Puschers finally made their way out of the building, with Styar right behind them, they did a quick headcount – and then tapped the shoulder of each child, saying “come on, let’s go.”

Styar, who heard the authoritative tone in Mrs. Puscher’s voice, assumed that these people were administrators trying to get students out of the way of the event, and blindly followed the family down the road towards campus, eventually into the Alumni Guest House parking lot, and then into their Toyota Camry. Styar thought it was weird, but later stated that she expected this to just be a shuttle back to dorms; and, feeling the stress of the day’s classes on her, quickly fell asleep only to wake up 90 minutes later as the Puscher’s pulled back up to their house.

Carla Puscher, who was left behind after getting lost in the eternally descending spiral of the Weitz hallways, was later recovered, and quickly accepted into the CAMS and Music communities. When her parents eventually returned to swap back the students, she was reluctant to leave, and asked, “Can we come back next weekend? They’re showing Nirvana the band the show the movie.”