At a school proud of its long and storied history, Winter Carnival is yet another tradition in the unique "Dartmouth Experience" that drew many of us to this frozen patch of land in the Upper Connecticut River Valley. It's funny: among all those many wonderful things I learned in the tour guides and admissions catalogs about Dartmouth before coming here, I've found that the trivial and oftentimes antiquated eccentricities of this place are what really make it special.
In many ways, the Baker Tower bells at 6 p.m. or the Homecoming Bonfire are just as important to the character and fabric of this school as the world class professors and top-notch education. While most schools bundle up when it gets cold or were established in more temperate climates, Winter Carnival was created here to celebrate the frigid weather and the sports that we play in the snow and on the ice. It is another example of how the time we spend outside of the classroom supplements, and is just as important as, what we learn in the lecture halls.
For this very reason, I have had a very bittersweet Winter Carnival experience. During my freshman year, just hours before the start of my first Carnival, the Trustees came out with their infamous "Five Principles," which promised, among other things, to change the Greek System "as we know it." Though unaffiliated at this time, I was very disturbed by both the timing and nature of this announcement. It seemed that the student voice was never valued or even considered by the administration before they gave a mandate that would effect the lives of so many people on campus.
The student response was astounding. Instead of giving up or pointing fingers at one another, the campus was galvanized by the announcement and students banded together. Although bitterly disappointed that the weekend festivities had been canceled, I still remember how impressive it was when I walked into food court and saw all the Greeks in their letters while just as many students wore "Unaffiliated, but I support the Greeks" shirts: it really didn't matter what shirt you wore or what house you belonged in that day. We were one community.
There really was a sense of unity and purpose on this campus that weekend and we got a taste of what we students were capable of when we worked together. There was the rally on Psi U's lawn where students rallied as one and insisted that their voices be heard. Through this mobilization of the student voice, the administration has learned that we will not be silenced and since then, students have played a major role in the decisions that go on around campus.
However, though the situation has improved, the mandates from above have not stopped; for example, despite the vehement opposition by students and even some members of the administration, winter rush for next year has been set in stone. It is important that we do not become disheartened and continue to follow in the footsteps of those before us and make the student voice even more powerful than it is right now. Apathy and complacency must be overshadowed by advocacy and involvement. We must constantly strive to recreate the unity that we had on campus that weekend everyday.
Although much of what I have talked about has related to the Greek system, this need for student action is definitely not limited to that issue alone. We're witnessing a very exciting time here at Dartmouth, where great changes in the out-of-classroom experience are beginning to be made. Although improvement is good and essential for the health of any organization, we must be careful that the traditions and defining characteristics that make Dartmouth what it is are not compromised in the interest of progress. The only way to ensure the continuation of these great traditions is to speak loudly about issues that are important to us.
On that note, have fun this Winter Carnival.
