As this may be my final column for the year, I thought it would be appropriate to offer the Class of 2007 a fond farewell. But I regret that I knew so little of its fine members. They will be missed, but unfortunately, I fear that many of the Class of 2010 will not feel the loss of their own special class of seniors.
The best source of Dartmouth cultural capital for me this year was my neighbors, five angelic Tri-Delts that lived in a spacious five-room suite at the end of my hall. It wasn't much, but they called it home. And I called it home too (once, when I was too drunk to read the room numbers on the door correctly). Not only did these girls bake delicious desserts for me at all times of the day, they also offered me an ever-flowing tap of knowledge from which I filled my plastic cup of inquiry.
Who could tell me more about the effects of fraternities on sophomore men, the dangers of BG cutters and the hopelessness of Dartmouth romanticism than senior women? While my dean offered tasty breakfasts to entice 'shmen to join her in discussion about similar topics, tantalizing pastries did not offer the same companionship as fellow undergraduates. Although those chocolate croissants became very close friends with the cellulite in my thighs, if you know what I mean (I'm such a pig sometimes).
There was a certain niche for my "senior sisters," as I call them now (although it makes them sound more like geriatrics than women). The value of their friendship should not go unnoticed or unappreciated -- they became paradigms of those who have gone through the entire Dartmouth experience. Reflecting on their successes and regrets, they showed a wise, mature love of the school and a sense of ennui and preparation for departure.
Through them, I was able to reflect on what I wanted to achieve, what I wanted to become, and where I wanted to be in three years time. This is the greatest asset of seniors, which the Class of 2008 should cherish and use to advise next year's freshman class.
This great relationship with older mentors leads me to suggest that Dartmouth as a community should attempt to cultivate closer bonds between upperclassmen and freshmen. It is difficult to think of a time in which I would be able to access wizened elders such as these for advice if not for my proximity to them in a residence hall.
Although I do happen to know a large number of freshman girls who are close with senior men, their deeply philosophical discussions usually take place on a twin extra-long bed. And those interactions are usually just composed of a string of moaned binary, consisting of "faster," "slower" (and occasionally "halt"). These trysts foster as much of an educational and value-oriented experience as playing "hide the pickle" with the local Boy Scout master.
Extracurricular activities and sports are ways to meet older peers, but for the average apathetic Joe or Jill, there seems to be little interaction between the classes. Even in the context of activities, the relationship between young and old is formalized, while an unstructured friendship can provide relations that feel genuine.
If the school administration questions the value of the Greek system, it should consider that Greek life may be the most important factor in social networking. It and it alone provides the best conduit for peers to make new connections with upperclassmen that are simply not offered as much to first-years. The bane of sophomore rushing is this void of older-younger relationships, which are destined to flourish during pledge term. Even as freshmen, upperclassmen are usually most accessible at fraternity basements.
Unfortunately, the College may not realize the social importance of Greek life beyond drinking. Not only do undergraduates gain easy access to pong tables, but younger students also receive the added benefit of a new set of mentors for the rest of their college lives.
Unless the administration wants to ensure five wonderful senior girls live next to every freshman boy, it should realize the importance of each house as a new social network, not just a den of debauchery.
Good luck in the real world, Class of 2007!
