Amidst the general haze of classes, sunbathing and the merriment that is Sophomore Summer, several events from the Class of 2006's three-month solo stint will stand out clearly in their minds.
Tubestock, generally considered the highlight of Summer term, was as wet and wild as ever. The daylong event was blessed with good weather and minimal injuries.
Sophomores managed to enjoy all that Tubestock entails, including jumping off rafts topless (or suit-less, for some) despite the constant presence of marine patrol boats manned by New Hampshire and Vermont police officers.
"Tubestock was the biggest and most awesome event of the summer, a fact that even God seemed to know considering that the Saturday of Tubestock was a sunny, hot gorgeous day sandwiched in by cold rainy ones," Stephanie Herbert '06 said.
The most serious injury occurred early in the day when an '06 male jumped off the roof of a house on the Vermont side of the Connecticut River and was knocked unconscious upon hitting the water. The student was rescued from the water and resuscitated by a Hanover police officer, treated at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and released later that day. All other reported injuries consisted of cuts and scrapes and were treated on site.
Unlike other summers, students were able to avoid walking to and from the site, courtesy of a bus provided by the Greek Leadership Council that transported students from Robinson Hall to entry points on the Vermont side of the river and then back again at the end of the day.
As in past years, the College did not officially recognize the event. Programming Board, however, did sponsor a poorly attended Summer Carnival. The carnival, which was held three weeks after Tubestock, included a band, games and a barbecue and was followed by the '06 Class Council's Halfway to Graduation party, which included appearances by most of the summer's performing groups.
Members of Dartmouth's coed, fraternity and sorority organizations left the basements for philanthropic purposes as well. The Greek-sponsored Grab Life By the Ball dodgeball tournament and the Summer Olympics both benefited the United Way.Many students joined thousands of Phish fans and trekked to Coventry, Vt., for the band's final show. After sitting in hours of bumper-to-bumper traffic accelerated by the muddy parking grounds, many were forced to abandon their cars and hike to the dairy farm concert site.
One of the summer's more exciting events occurred in an unlikely setting -- Baker-Berry Library. An unidentified man, approximately 35 years old, caused one of the biggest commotions of the term on the first floor of the library one Monday night in early August. The man attracted an audience while viewing hardcore transvestite pornography at a Dell reference terminal. Onlookers reportedly saw him rubbing and touching himself under the table.
Observers spread the news of the man's actions around the library and through BlitzMail messages, and within a few minutes as many as 30 students inconspicuously observed the man's motions, not including the group of about 10 giggling girls congregated at the top of the main staircase.
The man reportedly left the terminal and rushed to the bathroom, causing an outburst of laughter. When the man left the bathroom students began to clap quietly, but by the time he hurried down the stairs, the clapping turned into a full-blown round of applause. The man immediately exited the library through Novack Caf.
Though viewing pornographic material is not in violation of Baker-Berry's public computer regulations, according to associate librarian Cindy Pawleck, the man has not returned to the library since the incident.
