If you have access to a Telnet program you can read your mail directly from Carleton. Look for an application with Telnet in the name, and open a connection to pine.carleton.edu . The exact details will vary from program to program, but you should have a menu or option that offers the option to connect to a remote host. If Telnet is available, that may launch the program and open a connection. If all you get is an error, you'll probably have to rule out Telnet as an option.
Some web browsers have mail programs built in.
This can seem like a good option, but you have to be very careful. If the setup for the mail mentions the term POP anywhere, don't use it. A POP mail program will download all of your mail to that public machine, and it will no longer exist at Carleton. When you walk away from the public station, either your mail will be left on that particular computer, or it will be gone for good. If the setup mentions the term IMAP , you're in somewhat better shape.