Onlya few days ago President Clinton congratulated the graduating class and a thousand students said good-bye to Old Dartmouth. Before the new Class of 1999 takes its place at the bottom of Dartmouth's totem poll, we have to endure the summer in the most precious of summer camps. As with any other camp, school is the very last thing on people's minds at this time of the year.
But Hanover is not just any resort this term. Whereas at ordinary camps campers meet new friends every summer, Dartmouth brings together into its embrace our closest friends from the past two years. Friends we have not seen during the winter or spring came back. It seems that we can't get enough of asking "How was your term?"
With only one class in Dartmouth's isolated setting, there are fewer people and social options. With all our best friends here, this kind of solitary writing will become a rare activity.
But that's not all.In case anyone forgot, IT IS SUMMER. The Green is finally green, the Connecticut River is not frozen and the sun is generous with hours of light.
According to the latest rumors, there are at least five swimmers and sunbathers at all times on each of the three docks by the river in addition to the divers on Ledyard bridge.
With this wonderful combination of great weather and attractive facilities, I find it excruciatingly hard to refuse an invitation for soccer or frisbee on the Green, despite knowing that I am falling behind my school work in the first week of the term.
Academics, then, are out.
What's in? Everything but academics: water skiing, swimming, hiking, rollerblading, Ben & Jerry's, lemonade and cold beer.It just seems like there are too many things to do without the added burden of homework, x-hours, and drills.
Is it even possible to find a balance?What seemed like the natural order of student life, with a reasonable mix of work and play, has been turned on its head, into a homogenous mass of play and play. In fact, the only attraction of Baker these days is the fine air conditioning in the reserve corridor.
Not only are academics out, but Dartmouth, not the most politically dynamic of campuses during the school year, is unlikely to fire it up this summer. Even with the recent changes in student leadership, the time for any real governmental change is not now.As competent as the summer student leadership may be, the attraction of other activities will probably place this aspect of student life on the back burner as well.
Besides, after three terms of relatively packed activity and before an auspicious political year, maybe a rest is due.
So, if students place summer fun at the top of their priorities, what about the rest of the College? I've already had a class canceled because of the professor's urgent need to go fishing, and I have seen classes held on the lawn in front of Dartmouth Hall.
Can we blame the professors and administrators for making themselves and their students happy by switching to summer mode?Of course not, nor do I really crave for class room time when I can spend that time on the rope swing.
Everyone is happy this summer, but that sentiment seems somehow wrong. In an educational institution of Dartmouth's caliber, academics should take precedence at all seasons, for students as well as faculty.
But if we can't blame anyone for treating school as an extracurricular, then maybe all we can say is "the weather's to blame."
Obviously, there is some inherent contradiction between summer and academics, but it's a contradiction that we do not want to resolve, since the solution would involve some kind of a separation of Dartmouth and Summer term.
Instead, we compromise the essence of Dartmouth for the sake of a good time.I have no problem with this -- I'm enjoying myself to the fullest.
