Just when you thought social life at Dartmouth was safe, it strikes --senior year. For a variety of reasons, the same old social scene just won't do. A vacuum is created, but thank goodness it is filled by the Senior Sub-Culture.
With three years of training under their belts, one might expect seniors to approach the social situations with complete ease. In many ways, this is in fact the case. Whether it be the basement of their own house, or a house filled with friends, many seniors have established locations where they can socialize and feel comfortable.
However, there is a significant counter phenomenon which begins to occur after Sophomore Summer and is known as the "Who the hell are these people?" disorder (W.H.P.D.).
During Sophomore Summer this small liberal arts college becomes a really small liberal arts college. If you don't know someone's name you most certainly know her face. When everybody comes back in the fall, the College that was recently filled with friends and acquaintances is now completely overrun with strangers. This of course leads to the question, "Who the hell are these people?"
The initial symptoms of W.H.P.D. include disorientation and minor self-identity problems. Extreme cases can include isolation and paranoia. While there is no real cure for W.H.P.D., the initial symptoms do respond to treatment. As subjects re-enter the social scene and meet a few of these nameless faces, they experience a new acceptance of these underclassmen who have invaded their school.
The underlying disorder, however, persists. And throughout junior year, students move through the social scene with an underlying sense that something is amiss. Even as they meet freshmen and sophomores, countless others remain unknown. Recognizing the realities of the D-Plan, juniors know that any efforts to reach out to these underclassmen are likely to be broken up by leave terms and LSAs.
Frequently during junior year, students wax nostalgic about Sophomore Summer. Whether they remember the rope swing or a road trip, they all seem to sense that for 10 weeks there was a security and a closeness that has since been lost.
Finally we return, united as a class for the first time since Sophomore Summer, for our senior year. We look around at 1,000 new faces and struggle to believe that we ever looked that young.
The incoming class always brings new ideas and a new vitality which contributes to the excitement of fall. But in all likelihood, those 1,000 face will remain largely without names as far as seniors are concerned.
Freshmen bring with them a new look at the world around them. It is a new view which they will apply to their life at Dartmouth. The ideas of the 96s are on the way out, while the 99s are on the way in.
All of this leads to another outbreak of W.H.P.D. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the old treatment will no longer be successful for many seniors.
The side effects are simply too much to stomach. A whole new class of 99s have been added to the masses of unknowns who fill the fraternity basements. For some the most disagreeable side effects are the smell of mung or the taste of beast. Others simply refuse to spend one more year turning the other cheek.
Thankfully seniors have a place to turn--the Senior Sub-Culture. Numerous seniors live in off-campus locations, which facilitate social gatherings. Seniors are freed from a reliance on campus organizations to provide social life. They can provide for themselves, it takes just a few friends and some beverages.
Certainly they will poke their heads on campus to make sure they aren't missing anything. But they are free to recapture a little Sophomore summer and do their best to fight "Who the hell are these people?" disorder. Why didn't someone think of this sooner?
