Macalester College

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Hallmarks and Quirks

Things I'm Good At:

Casual usage of the word hegemony.
Seminars. Why have a 10:1 student to teacher ratio if you aren't going to have small classes to match?
Apparently I'm good at soccer, but most people are too busy studying to notice.
Social sciences, international studies, English...basically, we write well and like talking about society.
Travel. Sixty percent of my students spend a semester studying somewhere that's (almost) as awesome as me.

My Top 5 Must-Haves:

Winter clothes. Think of the warmest clothes you have, add a scarf, and then go out and buy stuff eight times warmer than that—this is what you'll need to get through January. I'm exaggerating...but only a little bit. Seriously, you need to layer up if you want to survive here.
Political correctness. My inclusive community is really important to me, and you need to be able to talk about sticky topics in a way that keeps me a safe space for everyone.
Laptop. I have plenty of computers that you can use, but you're going to need to work past library hours to stay on top of this workload.
Bus pass. Loads of people work, intern, and volunteer throughout the Twin Cities. For both work and play, your trusty bus pass will help you get to where you need to go. Many bus stops even have heat lamps, so waiting for the bus in winter isn't too bad.
Travel mug. Your hot beverage of choice will keep you toasty and hydrated through class and during those long nights in the library.

Why You Might Have Heard of Me:

I make national and international do-gooders. With a Vice President and a Secretary General to the United Nation among my alumni and an Institute for Global Citizenship that funds student-designed projects all over the world, Mac folks do good all over the place.
My historically terrible football team won the North Division title in the Midwest Conference Championship in 2014, our first conference title since 1947. Everybody loves an underdog.
I'm one of only seventy colleges in the country to meet the full financial needs of all of my students. I'll make sure that you can afford to come here.

On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...

I'm probably at a dorm or house party. I'm not a party school, but parties can always be found. Just be careful if you are partying off-campus—the police around Mac are pretty strict about collegiate tomfoolery.

If I'm not at a party, chances are good that I'm hanging at one of the neighborhood bars like The Blue Door (only with students who are twenty one and over, of course). If I don't feel like a night on the town, though, then I'll be chilling in the student lounges, watching Netflix, or playing board games. I might even check out an on-campus event like a poetry slam, movie screening, or event like Bingo for Books.

Of course, when things get dire, you may find me studying in the Link after library hours. The Link connects the library to our oldest building, Old Main, and it's open 24/7. Thank goodness.

Favorite Hangouts:

Nessie's. Located at the bottom of the Campus Center, this spot has pool tables, board and video games, and a nearly endless supply of free popcorn. Mmm...
The main floor of the library is like a second home—no matter what your major is, you're likely to spend a lot of your time on this floor.
The quads. It's good to soak in that vitamin D before I turn into an icy tundra.

Quirks:

To celebrate my birthday, a.k.a March 4 a.k.a. Founder's Day, students and staff play a game called Pushball. Basically, we push around a giant inflatable ball in the snow. It gets very competitive, and I swear it's super fun.
Among the typical graduation requirements, students have to take classes that fulfill requirements in "United States Identities and Differences" and "Internationalism."
The entire campus will cheer if someone rings the campus bell. I can't tell you why, but it's a thing...ask your tour guide when your parents aren't around.
If math isn't your thing, you'll be jazzed to know that you can fulfill my "Quantitative Thinking" requirement by taking non-math classes like Educational Psychology or Biological Anthropology.

Famous Alumni:

Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations and recipient of Nobel Peace Prize (He didn't want a fancy statue, so we have a Kofi Annan Ping-Pong Table.)
Walter Mondale, former Vice President of the United States
Tim O'Brien, bestselling author of The Things They Carried and Going After Cacciato
Danai Gurira, actress and playwright who played Michonne in The Walking Dead
DeWitt Wallace, founder of Reader's Digest magazine