Sophomore summer--so we've heard for the first two years of our Dartmouth careers--is the best term ever. It is the essence of Dartmouth: quality time spent with our class, a return to the outdoors life of DOC trips, pong tournaments and, of course, infamous stories that last far longer than anyone's New Hampshire tan.
The classes of 2008 and 2009 certainly have had their day. The common thread of most memorable stories involves, unsurprisingly, nakedness. One '08 reminisced about leaving her clothes in the Novack Caf bathroom and leaping on top of a table where a fellow '08 sat studying organic chemistry. Unfortunately, the table collapsed. Beware, serious studiers: summer fun will find you.
There are many who choose summer term to attempt the time-honored challenge of swimming naked across the river to Vermont and then running (still naked) back to New Hampshire over the bridge (hopefully without getting caught). Jenny Fisher '08, who agreed to be quoted now that she has graduated, would like to recognize "the considerate S & S officers who drove our naked butts back across the Ledyard bridge from Vermont" one Wednesday night during the summer of 2006. "Without you, I would have had to run back, so thanks for the lift!"
A favorite 07X story includes '09 members of a certain fraternity and a certain sorority, who shall remain nameless to protect the under-clothed and underage. Fraternity X and Sorority Y were holding a joint wild-themed barbecue when someone suggested an evening dip in the river.
Once at the river, several people took off their clothes and jumped into the water, later getting out to watch an '09 girl and '09 boy complete the Ledyard Challenge together. The girls had brought the girl's clothes to the end of the bridge for her, but the boys had not been so considerate. As the boy streaked back down to the dock to retrieve his clothing, an S & S car turned on its headlights. (Advice from my '09 source: if you're going to go swim in the river, don't walk there in a loud group of 30-40 people clad in leopard-print togas).
Everyone scattered to hide in the woods -- stark naked, ducking down in poison ivy, jumping the fence wearing only bras and underwear--and eventually made it back to the fraternity, except for the boy who had done the Ledyard Challenge.
This Dartmouth male returned to the fraternity house half an hour later, out of breath, soaking wet, wearing nothing but his boxers inside out and holding two bottles of champagne. In an impressive feat of S & S evasion, he had jumped back in the water to hide, alternatively treading water in the shadows and holding his breath underwater. (No one could explain the champagne part.)
Another '09's version of the story states that while no one was caught, one boy told S & S that he had just broken up with his girlfriend and had come down to the river to cry. ('10s, file this excuse away for future use!)
A few '08s shared fond memories of mud wrestling on Consensual Sex Day -- the organizers of the event awarded prizes to the champion mud wrestlers. I also heard rumors that some other "dirty" events occurred in the mud pit later that night.
Another '08 girl remarked that "the '08s had a thing for throwing or dumping beer on each other at parties when the basement got too hot." Apparently this tradition started at a party held jointly by Bones Gates and Theta Delta Chi. After everyone was soaked in beer, they decided to cover themselves in laundry detergent and go down the Slip 'n Slide on the lawn outside. Slip 'n Slides were an integral part of 06X from then on.
'10s, you know what to do -- give the underclassmen something to talk about. (You did what last night?...)
Claire Murray is a guest columnist for the Mirror. She has been practicing her Slip 'n Slide skills all term.
