Carleton College

: This article is about the Minnesota college. For the former Carleton College in Ontario, see Carleton University.

Carleton traditions and other facts

Carleton's history has given rise to several notable traditions. Many of these are pranks, such as painting the college's water tower. Most notably, a remarkably accurate likeness of President Clinton was painted the night before his commencement speech in 2000, and repainted very early the following morning. Clinton mentioned in his address that he "would've liked to see it." Another target was the college's beloved then-President Steven "Skeetch" Lewis, who appeared in caricature on the tower for some time and later was bid farewell from the same venue upon his retirement in 2002. Painting Lewis's likeness on the water tower involved considerable logistical hurdles, including the creation of a 15'x15' stencil and keeping tabs on campus security via walkie-talkie. Administrative attitudes toward this particular phenomenon have changed over time. For liability-related reasons, even climbing the water tower is now considered a grave infraction.

Related Topics:
President Clinton - 2000 - 2002

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Streaking is also a ubiquitous phenomenon, even in winter temperatures that average about 15º F (-9º C), and occasionally reach as low as -25º (-32º C). A naked marching band has made appearances. More perplexingly, a bust of Friedrich Schiller appears frequently and randomly at campus events, most notably dangled by chain from a helicopter above a football game against Macalester College. The tradition dates back to 1957, when students were pressed into service to transfer the contents of the older Scoville Library to the newly completed Gould Library; the bust, property of the college president, was included, presenting the opportunity to steal it. Schiller was passed on, as stewards graduated, and continued to appear, at least once a year, but only for high-profile events. Schiller's appearance, accompanied by a shouted "Schiller!", is a tacit challenge to other students to try to capture the bust (which has, understandably, been replaced at least once ? one Schiller bust may still be in residence in the state of Puebla, Mexico).

Related Topics:
Streaking - Friedrich Schiller - Macalester College - 1957 - Puebla - Mexico

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A baseball game known as Rotblatt, in honor (or open mockery) of player Marvin Rotblatt, is held every spring. While Rotblatt used to be an actual intramural baseball league, it has since changed into one solitary event: a faux baseball game involving the heavy consumption of alcohol. Rotblatt traditionally lasts for as many innings as the College has had anniversaries; in 1997, Sports Illustrated honored it in its "Best of Everything" section with the award, "Longest Intramural Event."

Related Topics:
Marvin Rotblatt - Alcohol - 1997 - Sports Illustrated

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many of these traditions (and the underground passages) appear in the 1991 Pamela Dean fantasy novel Tam Lin, set at the fictional "Blackstock College," acknowledged in the afterword by Dean to be based on the Carleton of the early 1970s.

Related Topics:
Pamela Dean - 1970s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~