My biggest pet peeve is when people pretend to be experts when they have no idea what they’re talking about. Luckily I took AP Literature and I’ve seen the “Pride and Prejudice” mini-series more times than I’m comfortable putting into print, so I feel like 19th century British literature is kind of my thing. This expertise is how I came across a quote from the Anglo-American novelist, Henry James, where he described “summer afternoon” as the two most beautiful words in the English language.
As I sit in the beautiful offices of Robo and look on as my fellow ’16s play soccer, pet the townie dogs and relax on the Green, I’m inclined to agree. This term has been built up by upperclassmen since I arrived on campus. The summer, I’ve realized, isn’t a fleeting number of days I have to complete the Ledyard challenge or spend on the river, but the opposite. The days feel infinite. I don’t rush because I have all the time in the world.
This summer is about taking the time to enjoy the smaller things, and in this week’s Mirror we start with one of the world’s favorite pastimes: soccer. We chatted with Dartmouth’s World Cup fans, explored a treasured room tucked away upstairs in a sorority and planned the first annual Dartmouth Summer Music Festival. We’re ready to enjoy the longest days, and the shortest three months of our lives.
The story has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction appended(July 2, 2014):
Henry James is an Anglo-American novelist, not an English novelist.
