I snuck into the '04 Revelation Dinner on Tuesday night. I am, in fact, a sophomore, but I thought I needed some revealing and the dinner sounded cool and we didn't have one when I was a freshman, so I decided that it would be beneficial to all involved parties (and my stomach) for me to attend. I tried to RSVP and was shot down--but allowed to come if I promised to help organize the frosh (i.e.: hand out little slips of paper with table numbers on them). So there I was, the lone sophomore in Alumni Hall, surrounded by old seniors and wee young freshmen who came up to my knee.
There were at least 20 tables set up and at least 40 seniors ready to dispense advice when the doors opened and over 150 freshmen flooded the hall. We forcibly separated them from their friends (sometimes with crowbars) and stuck them at random tables. Their panic-stricken expressions soon dissolved as they met the other '04s at their table and the seniors jumping with glee at the mere presence of freshmen. I was enjoying my low-key super spy-observer position when the overabundance of freshmen spontaneously called for another table, and I was needed to facilitate the discussion with a gimpy senior.
I, of course, was lucky enough to have the 12 coolest '04s at my table. And even though I am merely a sophomore, they talked to me. This might be because I stole some garlic bread for our table before it was our turn to get dinner, but I choose to think it was my sparkling wit and exceptional personality.
We began by discussing DOC Trips and the 04s' interpretations and imitations of their leaders, several of whom are my close friends, (direct quote: "I thought they matched one trip leader who knew what they were doin' with one who was just fun I guess my leaders knew what they were doing but didn't want us to know that they knew? I mean, we did end up at the Lodge and all and Bill is from Maine and that's in the middle of the mountains, so I guess he knew what was going on.") Soon we began to deconstruct the perceptions here that people feel they have to fit into, including the outdoor mentality sparked on DOC Trips. We basically concluded that even though those perceptions are here, there are a ton of people who participate in activities that would not go near Robinson Hall, home of the DOC, or even step outside for a breath of fresh air. And they are, in fact, very happy.
We soon dipped into the bowl of spicy questions the organizers had put together to pull out one about "dating at Dartmouth." The senior at our table proudly proclaimed that he's had a girlfriend here for 2 years. We threatened to break his other leg if he continued beaming about this fact and he quickly quieted down as we discussed the (non) dating issues associated with the majority of campus. I began to explain, and in fact charted, my dating career's decline since freshman fall, resulting in an astonishing no-date record since Thursday, November 16, 2000. The '04s definitely wished that there were more meaningful relationships between guys and girls here, and "even the boys said this," according to the illustrious senior at the table. One of the '04s busted out her interpretation of dating at Dartmouth.
She said that when she came here as a prospective, she was bummed because the men were not attractive. But then she thought to herself, "It's okay. I'm not coming to Dartmouth to get ass, I'm coming to Dartmouth to get an education." (I did not make this up. I wrote it on the back of my name tag as soon as she said it.)
We drifted from topic to topic, discussing serious issues and not-so-serious issues, and we reassured each other over our lack-of-major-cards, though I think I'm the only one who actually has to pick a major in less than 8 weeks.
It was a fantastic dinner and a nice time to meet some total strangers and realize that Dartmouth really is full of wonderful, crazy, cool and dateless people. Many thanks to the seniors for coming, the '04s for putting up with me, and the school for paying for it.
