When news spread earlier this week of the Petit family tragedy, sympathy, surprise and disbelief rattled the Dartmouth community.
As William Petit Jr. '78 survives his wife, Jennifer, and his daughters, Michaela and Hayley, Dartmouth undergraduates, past and present, are reexamining the premium that we assign to our education.
As our thoughts turn to Dr. Petit, we see a man who reminds us of the responsibility and promise that come with a Dartmouth education. As a prominent doctor, lauded civil servant and devoted alumnus, Dr. Petit exemplifies aspirations that every Dartmouth student wishes to realize. While a Dartmouth education may prove inadequate when attempting to explain the tragedy he has suffered, now is the time to reflect on the power of a Dartmouth education and Dr. Petit's strength.
This winter, Dr. Petit's eldest daughter, Hayley, was selected to join the Class of 2011 -- Dartmouth's most selective class ever. From the memories and testaments of Hayley's character that have been shared since her death, it is clear that she would have left an indelible mark on the College. Even in her absence, her potential resonates. It seems that she wanted nothing more than to follow in her father's footsteps -- studying at Dartmouth and practicing medicine.
For many of us, thinking of Hayley brings to mind the summer before our first year at Dartmouth -- feeling on top of the world, standing at the threshold of a tremendous education.
Though Hayley has moved from one threshold to another, we should nevertheless remember our own thoughts in the weeks before matriculation and perhaps recapture a sense of potential that may have faded since.
In remembering the Petit tragedy, we have been given the chance to reflect on the framework of the Dartmouth experience. Hayley reminds us of our feelings at the starting line of our education, and her father, Dr. Petit, reminds us of what we might accomplish one day with a Dartmouth diploma.
Sadly, Hayley will never get to experience four years at Dartmouth. We owe it to her, at least, to subscribe to her father's example and make sure we make the most of our time at the College and beyond.
