With the demise of Tubestock, a hallmark of sophomore summer for the past 20 years and an event that students have looked forward to since freshman fall, many sophomores feel that a right of their summer was taken away from them. In an attempt to fill the social vacuum left in Tubestock's wake, the 2008 Class Council has rolled out, to mixed reactions, a terrestrial-based alternative: Fieldstock.
Chariot races, barbecues, music and mud pits will characterize the first Fieldstock this Saturday, Aug. 12, at the BEMA. Will sophomores welcome Fieldstock or dismiss it as a lame substitute for Tubestock? Rather than mourn over the loss of Tubestock, the sophomores should focus their energies into building Fieldstock into a new summer tradition in which future classes will partake during their summers. Imagine the pride that swells in the hearts of the members of the first Dartmouth class who mercilessly taunted the freshmen to "touch the fire" at the Homecoming bonfire, creating one of the many staples of Dartmouth Night.
Though the Class of 2008 is the first sophomores to not have Tubestock since 1986, simultaneously, they are the first and only class to shape Tubestock's inevitable successor. The sophomores should seize this opportunity in an earnest effort to make the best of the situation. Fieldstock will only be a success if students embrace the event with strong participation, setting the proper tone for creating new summer traditions.
From "Salty Dogging" on DOC Trips to the Ledyard Challenge to crossing the streets of Hanover as if playing an elaborate game of Frogger, students cherish Dartmouth traditions and, in fact, begin gaining an appreciation for them literally on their first day at the College on Robo lawn. The sophomores should run with the chance to actually create Dartmouth traditions. If sophomores show up to the BEMA on Saturday in tepid numbers that make even the Vanessa Carlton concert last fall seem cramped, the opportunity will be squandered.
Countless alumni can attest to the fact that Tubestock need not have been an alcohol-infused event to be enjoyable. Thus, the heart of the appeal behind Tubestock lay in bringing masses of friends together for an afternoon and just adding water. Sophomores should simply bring that same spirit to land. Dartmouth students are more than capable of making their own fun. Any signature summer event that brings the sophomore class together is better than none at all. The more sophomores that participate, the better Fieldstock will turn out.
Though a dedicated core of sophomores put the old proverb "you've got to fight for your right to party," into action and challenged the legislative process that targeted the event, Tubestock still went under like the Lusitania (too soon?). With liability issues and safety concerns abounding, the death of Tubestock reflects today's litigious society. In modern America, being served excessively hot coffee can serve as the foundation for a multimillion-dollar lawsuit. The plight of rope swings on the Connecticut River over the past several years serves as an example. Personal injury lawyers with 3 a.m. infomercials have penetrated the "Hanover bubble."
What will it take for Fieldstock to become credible with students? History has proven that an element of danger must shadow each signature weekend at Dartmouth in order to become legitimate among the student body. Each "big weekend" offers hazards unique to the given season. For Homecoming, freshman must "rush the field" at the football game and evade Hanover Police. For Winter Carnival, students must beware of the, uh, winter and for Green Key, the second floor windows at Chi Gam. For the upcoming Fieldstock, enter the chariot races. Like Tubestock itself, the chariot races are actually a Dartmouth tradition that was disbanded decades ago due to safety considerations. The races will provide the chance for raucous competition among students in the same vein as Tubestock.
Sophomores should rise to the occasion and make the most of Fieldstock, laying the foundation for the new summer hallmark event that future classes will build upon. See you Saturday.
