Welcome to the fourth winter edition of The Distance, brought to you by the Carletonian. We hope you had the time of your life at the virtual Midwinter Ball!
First, in News and Features, Naomi and Hannah explore the mutual aid groups founded by former Carls that are focused on wealth redistribution. Then, Maya covers Carleton's test-optional Class of 2025 application cycle. Photo Editor Isaac takes us on a sustainable tour of Carleton's fashion scene, Sophia updates us on Carleton's Medium COVID-19 Action Level, and Lindsay covers a new CSA organization dedicated to Carls interested in pursuing careers in research.
In Sports, Julia covers the boom in the Nordic Ski Club's membership and the Carleton football team reveals their Super Bowl predictions. In Viewpoint, two professors write about community-based responses to campus racism, Ben writes about the relationship between Tump and the media, and Andriana writes about her experience with stress culture. In the Bald Spot, Phoebe illustrates the icy fashion on campus, Emma writes about on-campus studies, and N. Malte Collins dedicates a whole crossword to Holland Votaw (we checked with Holland beforehand). And Finally, an Arb Notes about the role of conservation in the climate crisis.
That's all! And as always, don't ever hesitate to reach out to us (kwaits@carleton.edu and bromana@carleton.edu) if you want to get involved with the Carletonian. We'd love to have you write, take photographs, or copyedit for us! Thank you for your continued readership and thoughtful comments.
Happy reading,
Sam and Amelia, Editors-in-Chief
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First, here's the latest in News and Features:
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Former Carls form mutual aid groups with different visions for wealth redistribution
Naomi Lopez and Hannah Davis
In the last year, current and past students have started two mutual aid groups to address economic inequality by redistributing wealth: Resource Generation (RG) at Carleton, and Pocket Change Pools (PCP). The two groups have both individually donated thousands of dollars, but their approaches to raising funds differ widely.
Carleton’s RG group, which is affiliated with the national organization of the same name, encourages young people with wealth privilege to donate large sums of money to organizations run by BIPOC and low-income activists. Resource Generation, according to the national group’s website, is oriented to the top 10 percent of wealth holders nationwide. Their stated mission is to “work towards the equitable distribution of wealth, land and power.”
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Carleton goes test-optional for the Class of 2025; applications up 14.4 percent
Maya Hilty
January 15 marked the final deadline for applications to Carleton’s Class of 2025. Like other selective institutions, Carleton saw an increase in applications during this admissions cycle—up 14.4 percent compared to last year.
According to Inside Higher Ed, while many colleges and universities saw a decrease in applications this year, selective private schools like Carleton have seen a collective increase. This may be a result of pandemic-driven test-optional policies as well as students applying to more colleges on average.
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Communal closet: sustainability oriented fashion
Isaac Crown Manesis
This is the first article in the Carletonian’s new weekly fashion spread. I will be profiling current fashion trends/ movements, Carleton’s fashion norms, particularly stylish individuals, and other assorted fashion related content.
This week I am highlighting an essential part of Farm House’s daily routine, the communal closet (something I am intimately familiar with as a resident of this community). As Carleton’s sustainability interest house, Farm actively seek out ways to reduce their environmental impact. Fast fashion companies (clothing producers that produce cheap, low quality, on trend items) are only increasing their market share of the garment industry.
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COVID-19 Core Team sets campus Action Level to Medium, encourages caution
Sophia Quast
On January 25, the college’s COVID-19 Core Team released the campus action level for the first time this term. The team decided on Action Level 2: Medium based on case rates on campus and in Rice County, as well as “other internal and external threshold measures.”
These internal measures include Carleton’s 14-day confirmed infection day rate, weekly surveillance testing positivity rate, and isolation and quarantine occupancy. Although the 14-day infection rate and weekly surveillance testing positivity rate were within low action thresholds—below 1 percent and .3 percent respectively—isolation and quarantine occupancy (41 percent) and test turnaround time (greater than 24 hours) during Third Week were within the medium threshold level.
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CSA approves new student organization for Carls interested in research careers
Lindsay Boettiger
While driving home after Fall Term, Maris Daleo ’21 and Anna Hughes ’21 were both reflecting on what led them to want to pursue careers in research. They had entered Carleton with a love for STEM, but Hughes noted that they both felt “narrowed into one career path”—pre-vet and pre-med respectively.
It wasn’t until she took introductory biology classes, shadowed medical professionals and studied abroad that Hughes—a chemistry major and math minor—became aware of STEM careers that were not related to medicine. Daleo, a biology and studio art double major, realized that she was interested after gaining some experience in the field.
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And now for an athletics update:
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Nordic Ski Club sees membership boom during pandemic
Julia Luljak
While many Carls choose to hibernate and avoid the bitterly cold Minnesota weather, the Nordic Skiing Club at Carleton does just the opposite: they eagerly await the snow and the promise of freshly groomed trails so they can get outside and ski.
Nordic Skiing, also commonly referred to as cross-country skiing, has been a part of Carleton’s sport offerings since 1939. Initially, Nordic Skiing was a Division III varsity sport that competed with other schools, but in the early 2000’s the school cut the varsity team. Coaches left and it transitioned to a club sport.
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Carleton football predicts the Super Bowl
Ryan Flanagan
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Here's what students are thinking about:
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Responding as a community
Adriana Estill and Anita Chikkatur
Content warning: themes of racism
Prof. Adriana Estill is the Director of American Studies and a professor of English and American Studies at Carleton. Prof. Anita Chikkatur is an associate professor of Educational Studies.
At the beginning of this term, we learned about a video in which a Carleton student yells, “F*** BLM.” While we are not sure who took the video or how it was made public, the fact is that it is now public, posted on Facebook and Instagram. About a week later, faculty were sent an email by the Dean of Students and Dean of the College, giving a few more details about what was said in the video.
Before we delve into our thoughts about what should be done in response to the video, we want to start by saying that we believe that Black Lives Matter. We believe that saying that Black Lives Matter should not be controversial. We want Carleton to be a community where Black Lives Matter, which means that it is a community where Black students, faculty and staff thrive and flourish. We believe that Carleton is not yet such a community.
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Mainstream media: the unsung MAGA crusaders
Ben More
In March 2016, a media executive put in a phone call to Michael Cohen, attorney to then-Republican primary candidate Donald Trump. The media executive remarks that he is “fond” of Trump, whom he calls “the boss.”
“I want to do a weekly show with him and all that stuff,” the executive continues. “He’s never lost a debate. And you know what? He’s good at this.” The executive offers Trump advice on debating before the call ends.
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"If we are not mindful of the sources we browse, the future may belong to whoever can be the Trumpiest - and 2016 may have only been a wake-up call."
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Combatting stress culture
Andriana Taratsas
Move-in day is stressful–special, yes, but mostly stressful. We dress it up with mascots and activities and traditions, but really it’s a mess of boxes and last-minute Target trips and realizing that you don’t know anyone here. Of all my chaotic memories, though, one stands out in particular.
It’s nearing the end of my first day of college. I’m sitting in the grass, socializing with my New Student Week group, and the new students are taking turns asking the peer leaders questions. I pipe up and ask about free time at Carleton, essentially how much, and what people do with it. The peer leaders look at me. Pause. Open their mouths. And – I kid you not – laugh.
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Weekly comic: winter term fit
Phoebe Ward
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On-campus studies at Carleton
Emma MacArthur-Warner
Carleton College has proudly announced the establishment of its brand-new Office of On-Campus Studies, or OCS. (The process of naming the new office was delayed when several staff members expressed concern about using a name with the same abbreviation as Off-Campus Studies, but they were soon persuaded that context could be counted on in every case to resolve any potential ambiguity. The OCS Office also urges the campus community not to distinguish the two by referring to them as “old” and “new” OCS offices, since this could imply that the new OCS Office was replacing the old one, which could not be further from the truth.)
The new OCS Office was created partly in response to student disappointment at the cancellation of many off-campus programs due to COVID. And since their goals are similar and their programs complementary, the Offices of On- and Off-Campus Studies will now be collaborating to find safer ways for students to explore. They will form the joint Department of On- and Off-Campus Studies, or OOCS.
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Holland Votaw crossword
N. Malte Collins
Across:
2. Holland’s favorite material
4. Holland’s favorite type of tree
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Arb notes: the role of conservation in the climate crisis
Sydney Marie Jones
Earlier this month, the Minnesota chapter of the Nature Conservancy released a report on the state of the climate crisis in Minnesota. While the data are startling—in fifty years, Minnesota summers will likely feel like those of Kansas today—the report also offers hope. Specifically, it outlines 13 natural climate solutions to help combat climate change. Most of these 13 practices are already well-integrated in current Arboretum management.
Natural climate solutions refer to conservation and restoration methods that increase carbon storage through natural processes. This includes preventative measures, such as avoiding forest conversion, as well as restorative practices, such as reforestation. With forests, wetlands, grasslands, and even a slice of agriculture the Arboretum retains some valuable landscapes and restores others, acting as a front line of defense against climate change.
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A note to confused readers: Arb Notes is published in our Bald Spot section, but is not itself satire. Arb Notes, unlike other Bald Spot material, is earnest. But because it is a break from our more traditional pieces, we publish it in the "fun" section!
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