The thing I like most about big weekends, especially Green Key, is that everyone seems to be having fun. On any other weekend, parties can get kind of lame, work can pile up, stress can drag you down, but on Green Key, all of that is forgotten and the entire school focuses on having a good time.
If you're anything like me, Dartmouth is not always an easy place to have a good time. Dartmouth is the only place I can think of where an organization can be derecognized for something as inane as not having enough non-salty foods at a party yet the administration can ignore something as devastating as the perennial housing shortage. Something is inherently wrong with a college where the students -- the people who pay the bills -- have to walk on eggshells while the administrators -- the people who pick up the paychecks -- criticize us for not being "high-ability" and then condescendingly try to tell us that the housing shortage is a normal, expected occurrence. The truth is a lot of the administrators here are better at covering up their blunders than they are at doing their actual jobs. It's a shame the Clinton administration is ending, because some of our deans would make pretty good spin doctors.
But enough of that. I don't want to spoil anyone's weekend by writing another depressing, negative column. Besides, as I've been sifting through my sacks and sacks of fan mail, I've realized that some of you think I'm "bitterly sarcastic" and even "boorish," and that's not the impression I want to give. The only reason I'm critical of certain elements in the Dartmouth community is because I see so much potential here. When the Student Life Initiative first came out, I thought it was the worst thing in the world. After stepping back and trying to see the Initiative from different perspectives, however, I realized that this could be a truly wonderful opportunity for members of the Dartmouth community to form and shape a new social system that is far superior to anything we currently have. Now, I think the whole thing is a public relations sham and that community input isn't being considered seriously, but maybe that's just me.
Over the next few years, Dartmouth College will undergo some dramatic changes. Some will be for the better, others for the worse. More important than the changes that affect Dartmouth are the changes that Dartmouth affects on its students. A large part of the college experience for me has been trying to find myself. It's clich, but it's also true. Sometimes I get depressed or frustrated trying to figure out what I'm doing here, what my roles are, who I am. How do I reconcile the me that reads poetry and sips tea in Sanborn Library with the me that sings lewd songs and chugs beer in frat basements? How do I justify the amount of money being spent on my mind-expanding liberal arts education if I'm going to have to sell my newly enlightened soul to corporate recruiters just to pay back the tuition loans? How does my voice stand out above the din of such a purportedly homogeneous school? What have I gained here?
Dartmouth College will play an important role in all of our lives. Whether the role is defined by graying Trustees, student input or social engineers, the fact that our time here leaves indelible marks on who we are to become is inescapable. So, by all means, enjoy this weekend. Personally, I plan on getting really sloshed. But in-between frat parties, lawn concerts, wiffleball and barbecues, take some time to do a little introspective thinking. I'm not trying to climb on a soapbox and preach to anyone here; I'm just merely passing on something that has been helpful in getting me through some occasional tough times. Look back on the person you were when you first came to Dartmouth, and see how you've changed since then. If you're not happy with what you see, think about why that is and what you need to do to become the kind of person you dreamed of being. If you are happy with the changes, with the personal growth you've undergone in your days here at Dartmouth, then be proud of yourself.
While your Dartmouth experiences may have molded who you are, the material came from within. I will now end my most pathetically sappy column ever with a quote from the seventies folk-rock group, America: "Oz never did give nothin' to the Tin Man that he didn't already have." Have a great weekend everybody.
