Since your tortuous journey here at Dartmouth started with the Admissions Office, so will I. This summer, I worked full time in McNutt Hall, welcoming prospective students and their parents and answering questions about Dartmouth. Not unlike most Dartmouth students, I believed that this school is the greatest college in the world. Most students, alumni, faculty and staff I've met are mad about this place, and there are myriad reasons to justify our feelings. To rephrase: Welcome to a beloved college.
However, there was always one problematic question asked by some smug high schooler: "What's the worst thing about Dartmouth?" And, despite being armed with the euphemistic arsenal of the Admissions world, I soon realized that one of the most dangerous things we confront here is dogmatic enthusiasm blind Dartmouth patriotism.
I've chosen now while you're still an outsider to ask you to remain dedicated to self-examination as you approach the coming years. Naturally, this is your time to become acclimated and relish the opportunities of a new atmosphere. But as you adapt to life in Hanover, consider whether Dartmouth itself can adapt to your ideal experience. Will Dartmouth adopt your goals, or will your goals adopt the attributes of our collegiate groupthink?
Upon my arrival here, I joined the universal glorification of ubiquitous Dartmouth culture a world of new experiences, from 'shmobs to pong, from Review to Free Press and from Collis dining to dropping Cutter. I approached our school's peculiarities as Maoist cultural mandates the more "Dartmouth" I knew and did, the more I felt a proud and loyal Dartmouth son. As a freshman, this enthusiasm for all things Dartmouth was new and inviting a welcome mindset for my first year of self-establishment. Without much thought, I equated aping my elders with successful behavior.
However, over the years, I've understood that we may collectively jeopardize innovation when we insist on repetition. During sophomore homecoming, I myself warned against progressivism ("Burning Progressivism," Oct. 19, 2007). However, while I still believe that we must maintain certain customs that predate our time here, I ask that we all consider our more superficial cultural tendencies with uncertainty and a willingness to improve upon them. Older is not always better. Established norms deserve selective pressure.
A consistent revision of our Dartmouth mannerisms and behaviors promotes being a healthily double-sided Dartmouth student: a zealous cultural torchbearer who is, at the same time, strongly self-aware. As members of the incoming class, you should constantly reflect on what is shaping your personal development. Feel free to find flaws here I insist but never succumb to the common cop-out by blaming Dartmouth culture as untouchable, shrugging and letting it go.
Do not simply aim to master and disseminate our cultural nuances. As you approach college with the eager desire to romanticize Dartmouth's zeitgeist, you should also consider how you intend to improve our collective culture. I'll use an analogy you youngsters may understand: Feel free to assume our memes, but be willing to create your own "lolcats" ("I iz playing pong, sinkin on ur serve, lolz")Also, I would avoid Internet meme jokes until you're in a committed relationship, which, of course, only happens to dashing and well endowed senior Opinion columnists.
To those not yet initiated into the exclusive society of Dartmouth students, the "be yourself" ideology may seem hackneyed and uninspired. But, soon enough, you will confront the risk of idealizing what we have here, while ignoring the reexamination of our external factors of influence. I invite you to analyze our cultural traditions with skepticism and an awareness of your own accountability.
Becoming a passionate citizen of "Dear Old Dartmouth" doesn't necessarily mean eschewing change. Spit in the face of mere tolerance. Recognize your individual influence, fight against cultural inertia, take hold of the reins and steer the College in the direction you see most fit.
