The Carletonian

As I opened my college email account this past Monday, I was surprised to find two emails in my inbox regarding last week’s column.

On Saturday, January 26 I was working the register at the Snack Bar while the Bat Mitzvah Sayles dance was in full swing. The usual crowd of the drunk and the drunker paraded through, as they are wont to do during Sayles dances, and they made me a little uncomfortable, as they are also wont to do what with their inhibited ability to order and to locate their Onecards. However, no matter how uncomfortable these influenced individuals have made me in the past, I have never felt threatened by any of them. I have never been afraid of someone here at Carleton, that is, until last Saturday.

Duda angrily denounces a plan to build more dormitories in the style of old dormitories as “anachronism.” Were he to walk two miles down the street to St. Olaf, he would see an “oppressive image of homogeneity” that would likely melt out his eyeballs.

As a Carl, I know how hard it can be to take ten minutes out of your busy schedule. As an Obama supporter, I know that Senator Obama has the right policies, the right experience, and judgment to usher in a new American era.

The presence of the mass media has undeniably affected the way that this country relates to politics. Candidates live and die by the power of “media spin.” One scandal, one misstep has the potential to derail a seemingly solid bid for office. It is the unfortunate truth that the personal lives of politicians can draw more attention than the details of a political career.

As a preface, I’ll state that I love almost all music. Though I was once an exclusively rock n’ roll, folk and grunge lover, Carleton, as well as my roommate who listens to hip-hop and R&B, opened my eyes to a much broader world of music of which I can’t get enough. Yet there is definitely some music that “lasts” longer, music that transcends the limits of its genre and time.

Carleton College is a place rich in both history and tradition. From the annual Rotblatt game to the stolen bust of Schiller and spring term parties on Mai Fete Island, Carleton offers more than just alcohol induced merriment—it offers a living community to its students. But even with such a strong sense of community engrained deeply within the college, there is one glaring need that must be addressed.

I was so dismayed by the commentary criticizing the architecture of the new dorms in the Carletonian’s January 25 issue. Yes, the new dorms are designed to be reminiscent of Nourse and Evans, but that would seem to be the logical choice considering that these dorms remain aesthetically pleasing after close to 100 years of service, while Myers and Musser, only 50 years old, already look dated and out of place.

As a long time Ultimate player, I was amused to see Alex Carruthers revive the debate about the relative athletic prowess of Ultimate players versus varsity athletes that breaks out from time to time in the pages of The Carletonian. But I have to wonder what his evidence is for a claim that is belied by my own personal experience.