A couple of weeks ago, my mom called to tell me that she wanted to come visit over Homecoming weekend. My gut reaction was a little less than receptive to the idea: "ErrmOK, mom, but I am going to want to go out' a little, too," I told her.
Like many other students, I was eagerly awaiting the social events that this particular weekend promised. I love spending time with my mom, and I wanted her to visit, but I also worried that her presence might put a damper on my plans to, well, party.
Initial reactions aside, the more I thought about my mom's trip, the more I realized what a wonderful opportunity it was. After all, isn't the real meaning of this eventful weekend to celebrate a community? Isn't it about officially welcoming the newest members of that community the members of the Class of 2013, and College President Jim Yong Kim and his family? Furthermore, coming together as a group is a reaffirmation that we are part of something larger and far greater than ourselves. That we are members of a community with a shared history and shared goal of education and formation
Somewhere in my D-Plan's five "on" terms (with more four-class terms than I care to mention), I had forgotten the magical place that Dartmouth can be. Familiarity and routine had made me forget or at least take for granted how much I loved this school and the people who attend it. It is very easy to see Homecoming as merely an opportunity to rage a little harder than normal all the while cursing the alums who dominate the pong tables. At worst, the "old traditions," like the bonfire, become cheesy and outmoded forms of group indoctrination and good excuses to party. I don't believe most people are actually so extreme in their school-spirit-induced cynicism, but many of us, I imagine, have thought more about what we are going to do after (or before), rather than during, the bonfire. My own reaction to my mom's visit made me wonder if I had lost sight of the actual point of Homecoming.
To rediscover the "Meaning of Homecoming," if you will, I went to the source of all knowledge (Wikipedia) and sought answers. I was amazed to learn that Dartmouth Night and the bonfire have existed for 118 years. Some of those years had been less spectacular than others (for example during World War II and the late 1960s), and have become reflections of the historical period. Winston Churchill and the Earl of Dartmouth even came to see the bonfire in 1904.
With this information in the back of my mind, seeing the upperclassmen and alums or watching the freshman parade to the Green en masse is a stunning reminder of the thousands of lives that have done this before lest the old traditions fail, of course. Although none of these lives have had the same stories, their great diversity is marked by a singular connection to a place, to a group, to a night and to an event.
When I think back on my own freshman Homecoming, I remember the pride and excitement of running around the bonfire, having my picture taken with the Dartmoose and eating free pie in Collis. I am sure I went out later that night, but that part of the experience no longer stands out in my mind. I know I risk overloading on all things sappy, but events like those surrounding Homecoming, especially Dartmouth Night and the bonfire, make me so grateful for all the things that Dartmouth this place and its people have given me. I have found friendships, love, support, the opportunity to change and the challenge to grow in mind and spirit. Moreover, by sharing the Homecoming experience with the new members of the Dartmouth community, it is my hope that they know that they, too, will find their place here even if they are part of the worst class ever.
When I thought about Homecoming weekend in this way, I actually wanted my mom to come visit. I am so proud and excited to show her the community that has become a home to me and of which my parents, by extension, are also a part. So welcome home, President Kim and family. Welcome home, alums and parents. And, most importantly, welcome home, '13s. Prepare for a great weekend of partying, tradition, friendship and quite possibly a case of the warm fuzzies large enough to get you through Sunday's hangover and homework.
