Think of the best memory you had during frosh week. There’s a good chance it’s not from a frosh event. Carleton’s frosh events, compared to other schools, are often duplicates of other events, and don’t have any traditions in particular which make them stand out.
Adding frosh traditions could help form a stronger school identity and a more involved first-year student community.
The university should look into creating new frosh events that not only are original, but reflect the unique attributes of the school.
For example, Carleton’s engineering faculty has done a remarkable job in fostering a strong sense of identity through frosh events such as the annual Rideau Canal boat races. EngFrosh could be a model for the rest of the school to consider.
Meanwhile, Ryerson University’s frosh annually attempts to break Guinness World Records.
The University of Alberta’s frosh is experimenting with a headphone disco night; Carleton does the same, and events like this are a step in the right direction: exciting and unique.
If Carleton wants to push its envelope and create a better frosh experience for its first-year students, it should do so by creating new and ambitious events that may birth new school traditions, traditions which make students want to come here, experience frosh, and experience Carleton.
