By the nature of Dartmouth's Ivy League standard of excellence, we are all very busy students here. We all have a lot to worry about for classes as well as jobs, as well as extra-curriculars. And yet, the College deems it extremely important to bring what some people call "culture" up to the sticks of New Hampshire (specifically in the form of musicians and artists). The reasons for this are two-fold I assume. The first reason is to be able to say to all admission candidates that Dartmouth brings all the performance variety you might find in a city right to your own campus. The second reason I assume stems from the first in that the College thinks that the majority of us actively enjoy the amazing cultural events that come to Dartmouth. This is where I think there might be a misperception. It is not the majority of us but by far the minority. The Hopkins Center attracts incredible performers and artists for our viewing pleasure and that of members of the Upper Valley. The tragedy is that far too few Dartmouth students are taking advantage of this.
In my eyes, as somewhat of a Hop junkie, the Hop (not Courtyard Caf) is Dartmouth's most wasted treasure. I consider myself an extremely busy person on this campus now and in my years prior. But one day back when I was a frosh, someone woke me up to the possibility of fitting some "culture" into my weekly schedule. Let me tell you about the rewards of having "discovered" the Hop for myself. I quickly got a job ushering when I was a freshman because I couldn't afford to see all the shows I wished to attend. The great thing about speeches, plays, musicals and other artistic performances is where it brings your mind: outside of the everyday grind of Dartmouth academics or practices or jobs or extra-curricular meetings.
I guess in a way, going to see the Watts Prophets this term reminded me about the world outside of Dartmouth and what I am doing here, and got the gears in my head, the ones that get rusty sometimes, turning a little bit. I looked around at the audience gathered in Spaulding for the Watts Prophets show. There were fewer than 20 students there, according to my eyes, and about 50 members of the Upper Valley in some shape or form (this includes faculty and staff). There was a good chance of snow that evening, so I assume many more people would have attended with a better weather forecast. But those people who would have come would not have been Dartmouth students (since we could walk to the Hop from our houses or dorms pretty easily through any weather we get up here). I recall having seen the Mingus Big Band perform and wishing so many of my friends were there to watch it with me because I knew they would enjoy it, not as students of jazz or anything, but just as people who appre
ciate music at all. Still, I saw so many more non-Dartmouth people in the crowd.
All I am saying is that I think more students should make an effort to take advantage of the great musical performances of jazz or classical piano or whatever, whether it's professionals or fellow students playing on stage. It just gets a little disheartening to look around and see so many white-haired folk who drive, some probably up to 45 minutes, to see the amazing performances that are meant, in principle, for all of us attending this College. Students who attend a lot of shows on campus would have to agree with me in saying that members of the Upper Valley take advantage of the Hop a lot more than we all do. And in my eyes, that is kind of a shame. If by the remotest of chances I ever retire to the Upper Valley I will definitely be attending the shows at the Hop, but we all don't have to wait until then.
