Since 1999, sophomores have ventured into New Hampshire's wilderness for a weekend of hiking, canoeing and shooting for a program known as Sophomore Trips, or "Strips." Excursions like this are critical to helping students make the most of their four years in Hanover, and as such, the College should make a stronger push to encourage participation.
Dartmouth prides itself on bringing together students from different backgrounds. This breadth of perspectives offers incredible learning opportunities for all members of the community. However, it often seems that students get caught up in routines that do not allow for valuable interactions with a diverse group of peers.
In other words, our paths are rarely diverted, and although we may feel like we know almost every student in our graduating class, it may be that we only know half.
Strips can be a solution to this problem. Although it is not quite the same blank slate as First-Year Trips, the idea is the same. There is little to judge your new trip members by other than the personality that you see in front of you. This unbiased opinion of fellow classmates allows for mutual learning and friendships that might not otherwise happen on campus.
Beyond the opportunity that Strips presents for sophomores, the program also serves as an important midpoint check-in for our Dartmouth careers. Sophomores can reflect on their first two years by reliving elements of their first experience on campus. To set both personal and academic goals, it is important to take this time to reflect on where we have started and where we want to go.
The relative peace and calm of the outdoors presents an ideal setting for this. Writers such as Emerson and Thoreau capitalized upon the clarity that they found in the wilderness, and on a smaller scale, Dartmouth students can do the same.
Because of the immense value of Strips, it seems that there should be broader participation among students and greater support from the administration and faculty. While participation increased to 160 students this year from 140 last year, this still represents only about 15 percent of the sophomore class. It was disappointing to hear of the 20 percent drop-out rate, but much of this seems due to the poor weather forecasts for the weekend.
When it comes to increasing the administration's support for Strips, there are a few things the College could do. First, the College should treat Strips as an important community event. In the same way that professors schedule their syllabi around other student engagements such as "big weekends," they should be mindful of the amount of work they assign over Strips weekend. It can be difficult to enjoy a hike when you have hours of reading and problem sets ahead of you. Second, it would be great for administrators to become involved in the program. While I was happy to hear that College President Phil Hanlon visited Moosilauke Ravine Lodge on the final day of Strips, I was disappointed that he left before some of the hiking trips, including my own, arrived. Seeing faculty and administrations eager to hear about students' experiences would enhance the Strips experience as a community-building event.
All in all, Strips was one of the best ways I think I could have spent my weekend. It brought students together and allowed individuals to reflect on how they've changed over the last two years. With this positive impact in mind, the College should do everything it can to support Dartmouth students' participation in such meaningful programs.
