shout

Junior Nathan Kennedy '07 is spending winter term 2006 on an off-campus French studies seminar program in Mali offered through Carleton and led by French professor Cherif Keita, a native of that country. Those of us he left behind in Minnesota's ice and snow can follow his academic and cultural adventures in his blog, Messages from Mali. A recent excerpt:

"Bamako, the capital of Mali . . . seems to represent the intersection of two worlds—the traditional Malian on the one hand, and the occidental influence on the other. In many respects this is a modern Western city. Cars and small motorbikes have taken over the major roads, internet cafés are popular, and stores sell a wide range of Western products. Yet most streets remain unpaved and walking around the city you see chickens, donkeys and even cattle alongside Coca-Cola and instant coffee."

Read more of Nathan Kennedy's blog.

Rob Thomas '08 brings us a short fiction excerpt from "Alex Stetson," a vignette featuring love, loss, and a literal heart of gold.

Read text of "Alex Stetson"
Hear a reading by the author

Student radio station KRLX recently launched the Carleton Radio Forum, a series of interviews bringing together student hosts, faculty members, and visiting Convocation speakers for a personal and provocative conversation.

In the January 22 segment, student host Martin Miller '07 and Carleton College chaplain Carolyn Fure-Slocum spoke with prominent civil rights scholar and activist Derrick Bell about issues of race, ethics, and social equality:

Hear the interview (MP3)

To hear more Carleton Radio Forum interviews, tune in live at 9 PM on Sundays or subscribe to the KRLX podcast online for a new interview every week.

Audio by Cameron Nordholm and photos by Ana Lagunez.

A slideshow presentation on what occurs in the Gould Library the night before finals at the end of every term, including the Knightengales, Cujokra, The Carleton Singing Knights, and interviews with students stressed out and otherwise.

View the slideshow.

by Terin Mayer

James Hannaway spent this last summer working with a political non-profit walking door to door to raise the minimum wage.

“Subarus are the best, by the way; most reliably Democratic car. Jaguars the least.”

Listen to the audio portrait (MP3).

by Ethan Hyland and Rob Thomas

In addition to being a successful student, a concerned citizen, and an all-around nice guy, sophomore Charlie Gokey is also an independent musician who records and tours in his spare time. Hear how he balances the demands of Carleton with his love of music, and how the academic and artistic halves of his life complement one another.

Listen to the Profile (MP3).

"I control that line. I either make you work, or I make you eat fish."

Ever wonder what Carleton kids do for summer jobs? Pretty much everything—including working on a fish processing line in Southeast Alaska.

The Alaskan Fish industry is huge and relies on a great deal of seasonal labor. Everyone from Eastern European grad students, to migrant laborers from the agricultural fields of southern California border. Oh, and adventuresome (read, naive) college students looking for new experiences.

Take a tour of the sights, sounds, and mental ramblings choppin' fish for 9 hours a day.

Listen (MP3).

Produced by Terin Mayer.
Photo by Beth Mynar.

by Terin Mayer

Vera Chang took a year off from school and, among other things, worked with primates in hawaii where fruit grew easily and life was simple.

“It’s hard to be friends with someone who’s stuck behind bars, in a cage.”

Listen to the audio portrait (MP3)

by Lauren Allinson & Ming-mei Hung

Nervous giggling. Awkwardness. A little extra primping. Hottie from psych class. Jerk who sits next to you in chem. The newly-renamed Set Up Your Roommate event (previously known as Screw Your Roommate) embodies all of these things. Everyone has a chance to "set up their roommate" on a date with anyone else on campus.

Couples are given secret code names and a meeting time in advance. At that time, you go to Sayles and look for the person who has a name that is associated with yours. For example, a person whose name is Cookie might be looking for a person named Chocolate Chip. Once you find your other half, the rest is up to you...

Before you watch the video clip below, make sure you are in on the lingo:

Screw your roommate = Set-up your roommate
Are you screwed? = Have you been set-up?
Sayles = Carleton's student center
Name tags = So that you know what other people's code names are!

Watch the video

by Ana Lagunez and Ming-mei Hung

As a newly-opened residence for five lucky Carls, Art House is a fine addition to the campus. The house is more than a gorgeous home or a trendy spot to relax; it is a place that has vibes like nowhere else. A haven for artists and onlookers alike (pint-sized art gallery and all), it holds the only rooms at Carleton that haven't been stripped of their original furnishings -- which explains the hot air balloon murals and emerald wallpaper in the bedrooms. Take a peek.

Play Slideshow.

Juan Medrano is from the Dominican Republic by way of Rhode Island, and is teaching a Latin dance class because the music makes him happy.

“I don’t feel like I fit in here, not because I’m Hispanic, or anything. I just don’t seem to be like the other kids.”

Listen to the audio portrait (MP3).

by Emily Schwing and Cameron Nordholm

In its heyday, The Carleton Miscellany was a contemporary, avante-garde and unpretentious compilation of some of the best comtemporary American literature. For exactly 20 years, subscribers from all over the country--and world--flocked to its pages, consuming the work by some of the greatest authors to come out of the 20th century.

But what happened? Why did the Miscellany disappear just as abruptly as it started? And where are the back issues today? One of Carleton’s favorite English professors, Mike Kowalewski of the Carleton English department, introduces us to what was once one of the Midwest’s most celebrated and sought-after private publications.

Listen to the interview (MP3).