food, and of course, softball. Rotblatt was created in 1964 by a group of
sophomores living in Burton. This long-standing Carleton tradition is named in
honor of Marvin J. Rotblatt, a professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago
White Sox. Marvin’s ERAs of 1948 (7.85) and 1950 (6.23) were the highest in
the majors, however his batting average for all three seasons was .000.
Silent Dance Party
A relatively new Carleton tradition, the Silent Dance Party occurs at 11:00 p.m.
on one of the two reading days preceding final exams. Armed with an hour-long
playlist of dance music chosen by the party organizer, party-goers gather on the
first floor of the library, don their headphones and press ‘play’ on their MP3
players at the exact same time. The dance party then moves from the library to a
variety of locations around campus.
Spring Concert
Having just celebrated its 36th anniversary, Spring Concert is an annual outdoor
music festival, and possibly the most widely attended student event of the year.
It typically falls on the 8th weekend of spring term and features both
professional and student bands.
The professional bands are selected by the Spring Concert Committee (which
anyone may apply to), while the student bands are the first and second place acts
at the annual Battle of the Bands competition, held just two weeks before Spring
Concert. Some headliners of the past decade include Kehlani, T-Pain, St. Lucia,
Smash Mouth, De La Soul, Wilco, Blue Scholars, and Brother Ali.
Schiller, Friedrich Von
Dating back to 1957, this Carleton tradition involves “stealing” and periodically
displaying a plaster bust of the German poet, Friedrich Von Schiller. The exact
meaning of this tradition is unknown; some believe it represents a subconscious
desire to mock the seriousness of Carleton’s academic pursuits.
The guidelines that govern Schiller’s “keepers” are somewhat vague, however
the modern world has dictated two simple safety precautions, including: 1) No
motorized vehicles may be used in displaying Schiller (due to the chase that
typically ensues); and 2) Tradition dictates that if the keepers are touched while
holding Schiller, the bust is relinquished to the next keepers. A struggle over
Schiller should never occur, nor should he be physically forced away from his
keepers.
Schiller has been shattered several times, glued back together at least twice, and
replaced with a new replica on occasion, but the tradition lives on. Schiller flew
on Air Force One, dangled from a helicopter, was signed by President Bill
Clinton, and even made appearances on Comedy Central’s
Colbert Report
and
ABC’s
Desperate Housewives.
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