Members of the Class of 2000 will be the last graduating class of the twentieth century. For most, this means little, but for others, this landmark year carries with it some important privileges and responsibilities.
"I think it is definitely cool to be the graduating class of 2000, but I don't really see the big image behind it. I mean, it's really just another year. I don't feel that there is a huge overwhelming responsibility that we need to take because of it," Marshall Hyzdu '00 said.
Lukas Cadil '00 added, "The year is just a number and it is what you make of it."
There are, however, those who do distinctly feel the weight upon being the last class of the millennium.
"I didn't give it much consideration before, and I didn't think that it was really that big of a deal, but once senior year hit, I realize that our class, the class of 2000, is kind of representative of all that Dartmouth is about. I think we also give some sort of direction as to where the school going in the future," Tiffany McQueen '00 said.
This latter point that McQueen makes regarding the future of Dartmouth is certainly pertinent to this year's Student Life Initiative that is expected to make a notable mark on the history of social life at the College.
"I think the year 2000 marks the turning point in Dartmouth's history. I mean, I don't think that the class itself is particularly different from any other classes, but this graduating year is pretty important as it marks Dartmouth's transition stage, a sort of new beginning with all the changes being made in the school," George Baker '00 said.
"This year with all the SLI stuff going on, is itself an important year of change. It's cool that this year happens to be the year 2000. Our graduating class represents the last class before the changes are set to mark the end of one era and the beginning of the next. But it all depends on which changes they decide to adopt," said Raymond Long '00.
Millenium Celebrations
Hyzdu celebrated this past millennium New Years on campus in Hanover, with many other seniors at a large party thrown at Panda House. He explained that there were a lot of seniors present, and it was a good opportunity to really bond with his fellow classmen.
He added that Hanover was a good place to spend New Years, especially with the fear of the big city brought upon with the international Y2K scare.
Many seniors claimed no fear for the Y2K hype, and described their night of fun on New Years Eve at parties in urban settings. Baker spent his New Years in New York City, at a large party thrown by a friend. Joanna Gordon '00 similarly spent her New Years at a Seven Sins house party in Long Island.
Gordon said that although she did not really believe the hype about Y2K, the intensity of the atmosphere in the city with the cops policing every street corner was definitely an unforgettable experience.
Long, who also spent his New Years at a party in Massachusetts agreed that although the fear of Y2K was certainly in the back of his head, he was more worried about paranoid people doing something crazy and unreasonable than the actual fear of the end of the world.
Purcell rented an RV for two days and spent his New Years at a Phish concert in Florida. Cadil opted to spend time with his family and friends from home, in Mexico City.
The Y2K hype was the farthest thing from his mind in his celebration of the new year, the last of the millennium and of their time here.
