This is the true story true story of a thousand people picked to live together at a college to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start being real." Does this introduction sound ghastly familiar to you? If so, don't be ashamed that you have spent countless hours of your teenage years in front of your television living vicariously through the antics, romances and habits of our society's sub-culture on MTV. For one thing, you are certainly not alone if you have. Instead, be glad and fortunate of your past television choices because they now relate to your life in ways you probably never dreamed of. We have just stepped into our own version of "The Real World" as Dartmouth freshmen.
Beginning with the highly selective and complicated application process, the similarities between our present experience and that of the real worlders were astonishing. As chronicled on the recent "The Real World Casting Special," 30,000 applicants from all over the world applied via video tape or in person for the seven highly coveted spots on the show. Similarly, over 10,000 prospective Dartmouth candidates hailing from all corners of the globe applied for their place in the Class of 2003 by sending in an undergraduate application. Hopefuls for "The Real World" were then interviewed by casting directors while Dartmouth applicants conversed with alumni of the College.
After the final decisions were made, MTV camera crews surprised a mere 0.00023 percent of all applicants Publisher's Clearinghouse style at their front doors, notifying them that they will live the next six months of their lives under public scrutiny. At Dartmouth, only 2,125 students, or 21 percent of total applicants, received a fat envelope in their mailbox detailing their Dartmouth acceptance. As we all know, those accepted into Dartmouth are not necessarily the brightest, best looking, most athletic or most popular of the pool of applicants. A Casting Director for "The Real World" echoed the intentions of Dartmouth admissions officers when he admitted that he searched for "dynamic individuals with strong personalities". While 100 percent (seven of seven) of real world acceptances agreed to the program, half of all Dartmouth acceptances agreed to matriculate, ending the painstaking application process.
Luckily, a short grace period of inactivity passed before the start of the actual programs. This period consisted of the end of senior year and the carefree summer for us. Meanwhile, the real-worlders spent a month packing, convinced their present colleges to let them leave for a semester and built up a soapy romance whose break-up will be chronicled on the first episode.
After this interval, those accepted were whisked away from mom's home cooked meals, daddy's wallet and other comforts of their own home to their new digs. For real-worlders, this was a loft in a great metropolis or sea-side house in an exotic locale. This new abode was modestly furnished by IKEA and included multiple full bathrooms, a fish tank with tropical fish (soon be mutilated by the cast members) and fully functional fireplaces. Meanwhile, we are situated in a typical college dormitory in Hanover, New Hampshire. This room is sparsely furnished by the College and may actually include part of a bathroom or a fireplace.
Both Dartmouth students and real-worlders encountered the inevitable problem of having a roommate: picking beds or rooms. While civilized Dartmouth students decided this matter with elegance, the real-worlders most likely have their first verbal or physical fight over this simple situation.
In the future, traveling abroad is a vital part of both programs. Real-worlders will engage in a trip to another exotic local such as Africa or India during what is billed as a culminating activity each season while Dartmouth students go abroad through our wonderful foreign language departments.
The next six months that follow for the real-worlders and four years that follow for us with entail a huge amount of learning: For Dartmouth students, we will learn about philosophy, beer, architecture, fraternity life, procrastination, calculus, time management and other cultures. Real-worlders learn which one of their smiles is the best one to flash on camera, which one of the rooms in the house can they make out in without being caught on tape and that the opinions of seven people can rarely be identical. More importantly, we all learn more about ourselves and the way we deal with others. However, all of this intellectual growth comes with a cost. The real-worlders give up their own formerly private life and most of their former integrity while Dartmouth students fork over a formidable amount of family savings and four years worth of sleep.
OK, so we might not be having our lives taped that just means you can do and say whatever you want without it coming back to haunt you on your television.
