Despite two deaths that cast a shadow over the Dartmouth community, members of the Class of 2007 still managed to mold their sophomore summer into a unique experience.
Tragedy first struck in July when Meleia Willis-Starbuck '07 was shot and killed outside her apartment in Berkeley, Calif. She was spending the summer as an intern at the Women's Daytime Drop-In Center, a program that supports homeless women and children. On campus, Willis-Starbuck was involved with the African-American Society, the Dartmouth Alliance for Children of Color and the Dartmouth College Greens.
Berkeley Police have named two suspects in Willis-Starbuck's murder, both of whom are said to be friends of the slain girl. One suspect, Christopher Larry Wilson Jr. is in custody, while the other, Christopher Lester Hollis, has not yet been apprehended. Police suspect Hollis was the shooter.
Less than a month after the murder of Willis-Starbuck, another death shook the Dartmouth community. Valentin Valkov, a participant in the Tuck Bridge Program and a junior at Trinity College, drowned in the Connecticut River while attempting to complete the Ledyard Challenge, a tradition in which students shed their clothes in New Hampshire and swim nude across the Connecticut River to Vermont. The students then run back to New Hampshire to gather their clothing.
Despite Valkov's tragic death, Hanover Police Chief Nicholas Giaccone and College Proctor Harry Kinne said in August that they have not made plans to prevent students from trying the Ledyard Challenge or other unauthorized swims because it is difficult to monitor the entire shoreline all day.
Although these two deaths marred the summer, members of the Class of 2007 reveled in Sophomore Summer's traditional festivities.
Tubestock came and went without any major incidents or injuries despite the fact that approximately 800 people participated in activities that included rampant underage drinking. This event, which is not sanctioned or recognized by the College, includes a day-long party that features rafts on the Connecticut River.
Many students also had their first opportunities to live in their coed, fraternity and sorority house this summer. Some students, however, had to contend with construction work in their houses as a number of organizations undertook massive renovations to their physical plants.
"At first we thought the construction was going to really hurt our summer, but it was not a big deal that we did not have a basement since we could have social events in the meetings room," Chi Gam summer president Russ D'Souza '07 said.
Another highlight of the summer included an opening address by author Gina Barreca '79, whose recent book "Babes in Boyland" chronicled her experiences as an undergraduate at Dartmouth during the first years of coeducation.
For the fifth year in a row, the Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth program welcomed East Coast high school students from underfunded schools to Hanover. Dartmouth students and alumni mentored the 25 students who were on campus in July to take classes as part of the annual program.
While the majority of students on campus were members of the Class of 2007, members of other classes were also present on campus. Ryan Payne '06, who has spent the last two summers on campus, said he found the two experiences very different.
"It's much different taking Summer term without the rest of your class, especially after having a Sophomore Summer with your class," Payne said. "You're much more of a spectator than a participant. However, I was able to devote much more time to my work and improve my GPA."
