<p>I just want to ask if there are many school sponsored parties with free foods and such. Also, are theme parties common and formals/semi-formals (like elitist lawn parties) existent?</p>
<p>Carleton is quite academic and I'd love to really balance that out with some heavy fun as well!</p>
<p>There are sort of middle-school-like dances in Sayles-Hill at least every other weekend. Those are pretty popular, though they're just one aspect of the social scene and I've never been one for them. I don't think there are ever appetizers out and there isn't alcohol, but there used to be free little cans of soda and water. I haven't been to a Sayles dance in a long time, so I don't know if that's still routine. Most people in attendance are fairly drunk, and if a Sayles dance is part of your evening plan, you'll probably be pregaming it by drinking with friends at a small gathering. Some dances have themes (bar mitzvah, anything but clothes come to mind), some don't. The one formal event that happens every year is Midwinter Ball, and people do all kinds of things before the dance, prom-style but on a much smaller budget (no limos, no expensive clothes). People will throw their own theme parties all the time, too, so you're not limited to just college-sponsored ones.</p>
<p>Thanks alot for the info dietcoke. Can I also ask about great hangout places for eating. I heard the Snack bar is overpriced and food in general is not that good (just what I heard ok, don't flame me or anything). Can I have your opinion or any other Knights out there?</p>
<p>The snack bar is overpriced if you're paying with real money, but if you're on the 12 (with 275 dining dollars) it's pretty hard to spend it all in the allotted time if you eat at the dining hall for a few meals. People complain about the snack bar and there are some items to avoid (packaged sushi, the occasional "specialty" burger). However, the sandwiches are decent and made to order, you can get a loaf of ciabatta for 3 bucks and the assorted classic unhealthy fare like chicken strips or mozzarella sticks is yummy. </p>
<p>Now, I don't know how similar the situation will be next year, given that Sodexho is leaving and Bon Appetit is coming in. I don't find the snack bar particularly bad to begin with, and since Bon Appetit is reputed to be much better I'm sure some improvements will be made. </p>
<p>Parties. Well, dietcokewithlime already mentioned Sayles dances, which are generally lame, sweaty, and dark. There was a pretty decent one last weekend, because the GSC brought in a drag troupe from Minneapolis for Pride month, which was pretty great. In general, though, they're kind of the low, sleazy point of Carleton parties. There are Mai Fete parties when it's warm, which in my experience are fun as a hanging-out kind of deal. Evans always has parties, which are hit-or-miss. There are usually some creative themed shindigs that people put on in dorms and houses (*** is an Ole?? comes to mind). For dances, Evans has some awesome ones throughout the year (God is a DJ, Heaven and Hell). And then there's the aforementioned Winter Ball.</p>
<p>There's definitely a party scene here that's adequate for my tastes. But I'll be honest: it's not going to compare to the size and strength of those at many larger schools. You definitely don't have to spend your weekends in, but occasionally there'll be a dud Friday large party-wise.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>For eating, the snack bar is super expensive and won't get cheaper, but the quality may improve considerably once Bon Appetit takes over. Right now, most of the food isn't awful, just limited in selection. They have some pseudo-gourmet burgers this year that are pretty good. Smoothies, chicken strips, and big cookies (OMG sooo good) are probably the most popular foods there. Salads and wraps are disappointing. You get a lot of "dining dollars" with your meal plan that you can spend there, too, so price isn't as much of a consideration--your money has already been taken from you (or your parents), so you may as well spend it. Your dollars roll over throughout the year. First term here, you're forced to have the 20 meal a week plan, which only has $75 dining dollars per term, but after that you can switch to the 12 meals a week plan, which has $275 dollars a term and you can eat at the snack bar all the time with that amount.</p>
<p>Other places for casual eating with friends: Goodbye Blue Mondays (cute coffeeshop a few blocks from campus, hugely popular with students and professors, very much a scene and you see people studying there all the time), Sweet Lou's Waffle Bar (new waffle joint, hope they don't go under, unlimited coffee and good waffles and comfy atmosphere and wireless), and Tiny's (hot dog joint that does 1/2 price hot dog happy hours every week and is also open late on Friday nights to feed the drunk crowd). For longer meals, Chapati is a great Indian place a block from campus and is most peoples' go-to place for a nice weekend dinner with friends. There's also the Rueb (serves great burgers and sandwiches though not super cheap), the Tavern (not as good as it should be for the price but you might want to mix it up, it's mostly known for Sunday and Monday 1/2 price wine nights and the cheap Tavern special breakfasts), James Gang Hideaway (coffee shop/wine bar/bistro expensive food, not very popular with students), and Mandarin Garden (Chinese food varying widely in quality, but I do love the sesame chicken). There's a bunch of pizza places around too (B&Ls and Basil's are both decent) and apparently some hoity toity wood oven pizza place is going to open soon.</p>
<p>Wow! Thanks for the info guys. It seems I have much to look forward to!</p>
<p>Excuse me, is there Japanese food near the campus?</p>
<p>I don't remember seeing a Japanese restaurant by the campus, but maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough. You might be able to buy sushi at the local grocery, though (I know, Japanese food is more than just sushi, but I think sushi would be the easiest to find).</p>
<p>No, no Japanese restaurants anywhere near Carleton. The only east Asian food in town is Chinese (Mandarin Garden, China Buffet). You can buy the most godawful terrible sushi you'll ever taste in your life at the snack bar, but that's it.</p>
<p>There's good Japanese in the cities, though. Bus tickets are only 10 bucks roundtrip.</p>
<p>oh....horrible sushi and good Japanese 100 miles away.... that's kinda sad.</p>
<p>Good Japanese food isn't <em>that</em> far away! MSP is only about 30-45 minutes away by car--granted, you may not have one of those. When we dropped off our freshman son (who makes his own sushi on occasion), we went to Kikugawa twice in four days. We planted ourselves at the sushi bar for an hour or so and had wonderful food. And, from what I've read, there are better sushi places (although we asked for "omakase" and had great results).</p>
<p>I should add that Asia House (Asian cultural interest house, non-freshmen can apply to live there) and Culinary House (cooking interest house, same deal) throw together sushi-making events from time to time open to the campus. If you want Japanese food badly enough to learn to prepare it from Japanese international students, living in Asia House would allow you to have it quite often. I think people who live in those houses get specialty ingredients from the cities when they can, and the international students living there make a lot of their traditional home foods.</p>
<p>Oh wow! I did not know they have these specialty houses for non-freshmen. I heard that WesleyanU has like thematic (German, Japanese, Spanish) houses as well where 4 or 5 people live in them. By the way, how active/generous is the Campus Activities at Carleton. I heard that Swarthmore's Social Activities Council is very lively.</p>
<p>Just by checking the Noon News Bulletin, there are many activities to choose from every day. Carleton is a busy campus.</p>
<p>What?!
There are Japanese international students on campus??
how many??</p>
<p>Yes.</p>
<p>The international presence at Carleton has been rising yearly (about 10% of last year's entering class). Students from Japan are on campus along with Japanese fluent Americans though unaware of how many. One profile:</p>
<p>Petra Crosby, <a href="mailto:pcrosby@acs.carleton.edu">pcrosby@acs.carleton.edu</a>, at the office of international student programs should be able to help with specific questions.</p>
<p>On a related note, CBS in Minneapolis this week covered a great story about Carleton's first Somali student on campus - it's well worth watching the broadcast piece: </p>
<p>wcco.com</a> - Woman Makes History As 1st Somali Carleton Grad</p>
<p>Thanks 1190! coool!</p>