Each year, as Fall advances in Hanover, things start to change. The air gets a little colder, the days get shorter, the wind picks up a bit, and the leaves start to change color and fall off the trees.
All this can mean only one thing: Homecoming is not far away. Once again, the spirit, tradition, and sense of community that separate Dartmouth from all other schools will bring freshmen, upperclassmen, and alumni together for one long weekend of festivities.
'Shmen, this weekend will epitomize what it means to be a freshman at Dartmouth.
This is your chance to make the most of your situation -- you may be clueless, but at least you will all be clueless together and loving it as you run around and crash into each other, trying not to fall into the fire as you change directions every 30seconds.
Tonight, even if you are failing chemistry, put away your books early, and when you hear the crowds of 'shmen coming by in the Freshman Sweep, go out and join them. Get your friends together and gather all the other 'shmen; the more the merrier.
As the mob works its way across campus, go ahead and run through the Reserve Corridor if you get a chance (or even both) -- nobody will be studying, and you will probably never again have the opportunity.
Once you are all gathered together somewhere around campus, you'll parade through town toward the Green. You might want to be a bit more careful here; mobs of 'shmen walking over cars might make the town of Hanover ban the whole thing next year.
But after that, President Freedman and other people will make some speeches in front of Dartmouth Row, which are pretty boring, but you might as well listen since they won't light the bonfire until they're done.
Then, finally, it'll be time for the bonfire, which does get really hot, but for tradition's sake, you should try to touch it as many times as you can.
After the fire starts to die down, it's time to head home, treat any burns you might have acquired, and take off any shirts that say "Class of '98" on them before heading back out to frats or freshman parties.
With all the confusion, you might actually get into some frat parties; but if not, 'shmen parties are just as good, since at least you will know the people around you.
But don't stay out too late; the football game against Yale starts at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow. In the last few years, the threat of serious disciplinary action has kept freshmen from rushing the field, but lots of 'shmen have always found the will to do it for Homecoming -- and often gotten away with it, since the more people do it, the harder it is to get caught.
So, '98s, enjoy this weekend and make the most of it; there will be other fun weekends to come, but you'll never forget this one.