Itis official: The Commencement exercises for the Class of 1995 will take place on Memorial Field instead of in front of Baker Library. The most annoying facet of this change is that it has sent a large contingent of '95s into a fit of incessant whining.
That is not to say that the '95s were wandering bundles of joy before this news was released. All year '95s have been voicing the various fears that come with senior year.
They are concerned about theses, jobs, graduate schools and their future. All of these are legitimate concerns, and I have done my best to console my senior friends as they suffer nervous breakdowns and start sending resumes to convenience stores.
But as they express their anxiety over the graduation ceremony itself, many '95s have gone too far. What was once the expression of genuine concerns has become senseless whining.
Everyone acknowledges that the ceremony is being moved because President Clinton is speaking. As a result the complaints of the whiners are focused in two directions. Many find fault with the College administrators who announced the decision while others aim their wrath directly at President Clinton.
Those who complain about the President sound particularly immature. They will have you believe that Clinton speaking at graduation is the first sign of the apocalypse.
This argument goes something like this: "His speech is going to be too political, and I don't even like his politics, and there's going to be a media circus, and it's not going to be the special ceremony that it should be, and Chelsea is ugly."
All of this drivel seems exceptionally silly. No matter what man or woman is serving in the office, it is an enormous honor to have the President of the United States speak at our little affair. It is an honor for Dartmouth and an honor for the Class of 1995.
Years from now '95s are going to be talking to their grandchildren. When the little tikes ask about the Clinton years, proud, old Dartmouth Grandpa will tell them all about his graduation.
The honor of the President's presence does not come without some trade-offs. Admittedly, in a perfect world Commencement would take place in front of Baker Library, the intellectual heart of the campus, and the weather would be beautiful. But surely we can stomach some change in order to welcome the leader of our country.
Another set of '95s points its fury at College administrators. But these seniors are asking the impossible. It would greatly embarrass the entire Dartmouth Community if the College were not flexible enough to accommodate the President. There is no way to eliminate the crowd control problems and safety concerns that are necessarily connected with a presidential visit.
Yet some '95s insist on whining away. I'm not a psychologist, but I took Health in ninth grade. I suspect seniors are displacing their fears and frustrations about the real world and projecting those onto the graduation ceremony.
While this might be understandable it is far from attractive. For the underclassmen who have to listen, it is down right annoying.
So buck up you graduating campers. Things may not be perfect, but you have the honor of the President speaking at your ceremony. That's worth a lot. If I were you I would concentrate on hoping for a sunny day. Just stop whining.
