Parents’ Weekend has come and left us. The past few days, we watched as scores of ’27s and ’24s, accompanied by family members, strolled around campus. Their feet rustled trodden leaves, and they excitedly pointed out various landmarks around campus.
“That building right there is where my 10A is held!”
“See that window right there? I was at a party there the other night!”
Even for ’27s who have been on campus for a singular month, the presence of fresh eyes can fill one with delight and gratitude towards this school, sometimes muffled by the all-encompassing nature of a Dartmouth term. I was lucky to have my parents visit me this past weekend, and I, too, felt a reignition of the wonder I felt during my initial campus tour. We attended a barbecue in which a friend and his dad cooked 30 deliciously juicy whole chickens on a spinning rod. We walked around the offices of The D, as I explained to them the countless hours I spend in the newsroom — and I paused and smiled when they raved about the view of the Green. During the normally mildly irritating walks up the West Wheelock hill from my apartment to campus, they marveled at the evening light on the surrounding hillsides.
After each moment of the day, I seemed to say, “Yeah, this is very Dartmouth.” Even as my father told the story of picking me up from campus after I violated COVID protocol, I chuckled with warm nostalgia. Maybe the graduation goggles have already started to settle, but even in the most mundane parts of Dartmouth, something special — something that exudes “yes, this is Dartmouth” — murmurs beneath the surface.
In this week’s edition of Mirror, we dive beneath the surface of different parts of Dartmouth. One writer covers a new community of vest-wearers and how their passion for vests began, while another explores the many traditions that clubs use to welcome new members. One piece examines the awkwardness involved in break-ups on Dartmouth’s small campus, while another investigates ’27’s attitudes towards student housing communities. Finally, a writer delves into the world of drill instructors and the Rassias method, reflecting on her own experience as an instructor in the process.
Even if your everyday Dartmouth moments feel extra mundane during this Week 4, we hope you still find time to try viewing them from a different perspective. You never know what you might see.
