While most of the Class of 1996 was enjoying a leisurely afternoon floating down the Connecticut River during Tubestock two weeks ago, Sara McKinstry '96 was in Sturbridge, Mass. covering a story for her local newspaper.
Although most people associate Sophomore Summer with less strenuous classes, soccer games on the Green and Tubestock, for about 10 percent of each class, Sophomore Summer means a time to get away from Dartmouth &emdash; either to relax after three terms of varsity sports or to hold down a sterling internship.
McKinstry has an internship at a newspaper in Sturbridge, Mass. &emdash; an internship she said she could not get during any term except the summer.
"It's great. I love it," she said.
Just because she loves her job does not mean McKinstry is ecstatic to be home for the summer.
"Well, I mean I miss my friends up at school and I missed out on Tubestock because I was covering a story," she said, "but I live close enough to Dartmouth so I can come up and visit."
Every student that wants to take off the required summer term must go through Registrar Thomas Bickel. Bickel said about 40 students in each class never spend a summer term on, and another 60 students choose to stay for either their freshman or junior summer.
"I try to be flexible about it where people have good reason for a change," Bickel said. "In terms of the real waiver, I'm as hard nosed as I can be."
Tonia Hook '96 is in Washington, D.C. this summer, taking Chinese at Georgetown University, because Dartmouth doesn't offer the courses she needs to complete her Asian Studies major.
"Dartmouth offers it, but I'll be in London in the fall," she said. "If you miss one, you're kind of up the creek. Especially if you're going to be a junior."
Hook said she did not particularly mind not being off during the summer.
"I think I'm definitely enjoying D.C.," she said. "I don't know what I'm missing since there only is one Sophomore Summer. It's hard to miss something if you're not really there."
But that is not to say that Hook is happy not being on with the rest of her class.
"I definitely think it's a tradeoff," she said. "There are lots of things I like about being in a city, but there is a little inkling that you would like to be there for Tubestock."
Most students, unlike Hook, eventually stay on for a summer at some point before graduation.
"The most common thing is to defer it for a year," Bickel said. "It has to be a really, good solid reason to grant a complete waiver."
He said almost every year about 100 sophomores take the summer off.
Nathan Severson '96 said he stayed home this summer because his mother is sick. He said he regrets not being on during the summer, but added his mother is doing better.
"I wish I could be there," he said, "but I didn't have much of an option."
Chris Sweeney '96 also said he had to stay home for "family reasons."
Although he said he sometimes regrets not being on campus for the summer, for the most part he said he made the right decision.
"For me, I think it was a good decision," he said. "Academically I feel it was a good break. It gave me a chance to gear up for the junior year. The junior year is where you really want to focus your path."
"Sometimes I wish I was up there enjoying it with all my classmates," he said. But he added that he is "not too worried about it," because many members of the Class of 1996 will be on in the fall and during senior year.
