So here we are, in the fifth week of our sophomore summer and the question that begs to be asked is: does the reality hold up to the myth? We've all heard about the legend that is sophomore summer. You hear about this unique aspect of Dartmouth before you've even arrived here. Everyone talks about the summer with unbridled enthusiasm and nostalgia -- the hype is so overwhelming that you're almost tempted to feel sorry for all your friends in other colleges who don't get to spend a summer at their schools taking classes. Are we just brainwashed, or is sophomore summer really all that it's cracked up to be?
The most common words I've heard to describe sophomore summer are chill, relaxed, laid-back and fun. They're all true to an extent. The summer is pretty laid back -- no one seems to be caught in the hustle and bustle of everyday Dartmouth life. The general attitude of the populace seems relaxed -- everyone is in the mood to just hang out and chill. And it definitely is fun to see all your friends who've been off at various points during the past year and who you might not see for another year. The overall atmosphere is much different since there are mostly '05s (and the random '02s,'03s,'04s,'06s and 12-year olds) on campus. It's definitely like no other term at Dartmouth. But different does not necessarily mean better, so how does sophomore summer hold up to the other terms?
Well, for starters, it's hot as hell. Dartmouth students wouldn't be Dartmouth students if they didn't whine about the weather, no matter what the conditions are. So let me just reiterate as a representative of my class that Hanover is hot and muggy and fairly disgusting in the summer. The weather gods have smiled on us and we've seen pretty decent temperatures recently, but the past month was almost unbearable. I guess comparing the summer to rest of the year in terms of weather is difficult -- it depends on individual preferences. Believe it or not, there are weirdosumm, people who like it when it's 20 below zero. I am not one of those people, so I guess I can't complain about the weather too much. Just invest in a good fan for your room, keep your blinds down and hang out in places with air conditioning and your hot weather woes will be solved for the most part. So far so good.
Now the next issue is more tricky -- what no one ever told you is that during the summer, Hanover gets invaded by insects whose sole purpose in life is to give you the worst bug-bites in the history of the universe. Sometimes, they manage to attack your room even though your window nets supposedly should keep them out. One word to the wise, if this happens, turning off all your lights and opening the door to make the insects leave does not work if your computer is turned on " the damn bugs just reconvene around your computer. I don't really know what the solution to this problem is. I guess you can always carry bug spray on you. Or you can avoid sitting outside. Or you can never leave your window open. None of these solutions seems particularly amenable to me, so I suggest you just squash them whenever possible. We're bigger and smarter -- surely we can win against these little twerps. And no, I'm not bitter at all.
And finally, there's the little problem of food, or more specifically, the lack thereof. Before this becomes a tirade against DDS, let me say that I do understand the need to cut down on expenses when the number of students on campus is so small. That said, what the hell is going on? Nothing is ever open when I want to eat. And if I do manage to make it to Food Court before it closes, I never have a clue what to eat. Maybe the solution is to just stop eating -- I mean, it really is too hot to eat most of the time. We should just survive on soda and ice cream and frozen margaritas. Sounds like a plan to me.
Which brings us back to the question of sophomore summer -- is it as great as you thought it would be? I don't know. I see both the pros and cons of being on in the summer, but eventually I guess it's all about having fun with your fellow '05s who you might not see for a long time after this. So I say, forget about the heat and the bugs and the food and just enjoy yourself. Go swim in the river. Take sailing. Go tanning on the Green. Do whatever floats your boat. For a short time, we own this campus -- let's make it memorable.
