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Photo by Erica Helgerud ’20
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Here's your news for December from on and off campus. As the winter skies get dark, look up! Not only have the northern lights made several appearances over Northfield in recent months, but the International Space Station is now carrying experiments crafted by India Ratha ’27 and Josh Lecuyer ’25. Things are looking up as well for alumni whose creations are being turned into movies, including Jack El-Hai ’79 and the makers of the Oregon Trail game ( look it up). There are others on campus to look up to, like Arboretum director Nancy Braker ’81 as she coordinates a book that will celebrate the Arb's centennial in 2026. Read on for more news from campus —and if you're in the area, look us up.
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Make your Giving Tuesday gift today! Tomorrow, December 3, is Giving Tuesday, and we need 1,866 donors to unlock $75,000 in at-risk matching funds—if we don't reach our donor goal, the funds will not be earned. Give us a head start and make your gift today!
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Virtual: Wednesday, December 4
3 p.m. CST Carleton Connects: Ken Fisher ’55 and the science of sleep
Why do we spend one third of our lives almost completely defenseless and in ignorance of the world around us? Doctor Ken Fisher ’55, who has worked on sleep medicine for decades and has just published Sleep: A User’s Guide, will offer an introduction to what science has uncovered about this mysterious but fundamental part of our lives and what you can do to improve your sleep.
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In person: Friday, December 6
7 p.m. CST
Goodsell Observatory Open House
Goodsell Observatory public evenings are held the first Friday of every month, if the weather is clear.
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Virtual: Thursday, December 12
9 a.m. CST Breakfast Club: Sharon Mitchell ’84 and today’s student mental health crisis in context
Dedicated to collegiate mental health and wellness, Sharon Mitchell ’84 has transformed college counseling practices and improved the lives of thousands of students. Sharon will discuss current trends in college student mental health, including the narrative that today’s students are in a state of emotional crisis.
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In person: throughout the winter Cheer on the Knights
Winter sports gear up with men's and women's basketball and men's and women's swimming and diving. Look for an event in your area and come support Carleton's varsity athletes!
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Winter gatherings — new locations added! Winter gatherings are a fun way to get together with Carls in your area, engage current students—many of whom will be back home for winter break—and show them what life after Carleton is like.
Check out the list of events and register. Don't see an event in your area? There's still time to plan an informal gathering. It can be as easy as picking a date in January and a time at one of your favorite watering holes.
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Kickstart 2025 with a captivating read Prepare for a literary journey in 2025 with Carleton's alumni book club, your gateway to engaging reads and insightful discussions with fellow Carls. Our new year begins on January 3 with Clint Smith's How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America.
“A moving and perceptive survey of landmarks that reckon, or fail to reckon, with the legacy of slavery in America... this is an essential consideration of how America’s past informs its present.”―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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Travel with Carleton faculty and alumni
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From Arts & Crafts to Motown: The Detroit Experience April 26, 2025 with optional add-on tours on Sunday, April 27 Join fellow Carls and Carleton music professor Andy Flory for this special opportunity to experience some of the most iconic treasures of Detroit: the renovated and expanded Motown Museum, the significant collections at the Detroit Institute of Art, the Charles Wright Museum of African American History, and more. Spend a day or make a weekend out of discovering the culture and history of the Motor City.
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The Black Freedom Movement
June 24 – July 3, 2025
Join fellow Carls and Carleton history professor Rebecca Brückmann, who specializes in African American history, on a retrospective journey of the Black Freedom Movement from Alabama through Louisiana and Mississippi to Tennessee. This program will take you through a heavy and emotional period in U.S. history, but it will also show you the resilience, strength, and joy of a people who have been fighting for equal rights in the face of adversity since their enslavement.
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Call for Reunion 2026 volunteers If your class will be celebrating Reunion in 2026 and you would like to help plan the weekend's events or your class's gift effort, please complete the Reunion Volunteer form. Everyone is welcome.
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You'll drool over our bib! The Carleton Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Relations provide Carleton bibs (in an easy-to-wash silicone design) to alumni who have recently welcomed a baby into their families. Please fill out our form to share your news with us and receive a free bib.
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Make your gift early this December There's still time to make a gift to Carleton before the tax deadline on December 31. However, college offices will be closed from December 23 through January 1. If you typically make your gift by phone (800-745-2275), please consider initiating your call early this year. If you plan to mail your gift, please ensure that it is postmarked by Tuesday, December 31. Otherwise, we invite you to visit give.carleton.edu to make your annual contribution by December 31.
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Our offices will be closed 12/23–1/1 Please feel free to reach out to us when we reopen on January 2. Happy New Year!
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