The Freshman View

Work hard, play hard

I never attended a proper Homecoming in high school. I was the kind of girl who would go to class, make the obligatory appearance at lunch just long enough to eat, and disappear to the library or home to study, study, study. It seemed to me, being that I attended a pressure cooker school, that the only important motivation and path was academics, because from there I could gain admission to a prestigious university. So Homecoming was off the table.
Now, however, that I’ve landed at Dartmouth? Homecoming was an event. An occurrence not to be missed. I’ll preface by saying that I am not a partier, but a partier I did become for this weekend. My friends and I went to a party and partook in all the delightful lessons Dartmouth’s upperclassmen have to offer freshmen. We went to the bonfire and walked around once, which was a little disappointing after having heard about the thirty laps. And then we returned to the party. To absolutely no one’s surprise Saturday morning was rough, not aided by Big Green’s unstable performance against Penn in the second and third quarters, though it was all rectified by chanting “safety school!” to the Quakers, because honestly a seven percent acceptance rate? Seems like just anyone could walk in. Needless to say the sack in the last play of the game set us freshmen up well for a night to remember, a true Homecoming to the woods and all its mysterious ways. My only complaint is it would have been nice to have a slight reprieve from assignments…because was anyone honestly able to function and study for midterms after Friday and Saturday?
In any case, what a weekend it was to at least buoy my spirits before dreaded exams, a bit of social medicine to keep me in shape. Yes, this is the frattiest Ivy, but I kind of get the “work hard, play hard” mentality after seeing it in action over Hoco. 10/10 recommend.

– Caroline Dudzinski, ’30

A reflection on fire

There is something so extraordinary about a fire. Evidence suggests that fires enhance our lateral thinking – a possible explanation for why we often tell stories around a fire. But there is more to it than that. The way a fire can capture our eyes and make the whole world just shut up for a second is its best quality. It doesn’t just draw attention; it brings people together. To quote the Great Seal of the United States, “E pluribus unum.” Out of many, one.
That’s what Dartmouth was for the 30s on Friday night. One. Not entirely sure why the 29s were there, pretty sure this tradition is meant for us, but if they want to relive their freshman glory days, then who are we to judge? Regardless, no matter where we have come from or where we are going, we all gazed in awe at the thirty-five-foot beacon of community and recognized that we are all in this together. It wasn’t a celebration of our individuality, but rather a celebration of the fact that we are all together now.
As we have begun taking midterm exams, become fully fledged members of clubs around campus, and found real friends, the bonfire was a moment for us to step back from the craziness of this first month or so and appreciate the community we are all a part of. Dartmouth is an incredible institution in which people from all walks of life can come together and simply be together – a notion emulated perfectly by the bonfire.

– Neel Behringer, ’30 and Alexander Golnik, ’30

A late homecoming

Since last year’s bonfire got cancelled because of a burn ban, this bonfire was the first one not only for the 30s but also the 29s. Walking around even the days before, the scale of the bonfire was unimaginable and so much larger than I could have imagined. Watching the fire be lit, and feeling the sheer heat that made my face feel like it was melting made the experience miles better than the light show. It was probably one of the times I have felt the warmest in Hanover, and as I have been told by many upperclassmen and alumni, I finally got to experience feeling the sheer heat facing the fire but freezing as the wind hits my back. There also was a better sense of community. So many students, faculty members, and alumni circled around to watch the bonfire and it felt so much more welcoming than the celebrations for our year. The rest of the weekend was not necessarily special, but seeing the support for Dartmouth as a whole from the students and alumni, especially cheering on the football team during the Homecoming game is unlike any other time. From last year’s Homecoming weekend to this year, there was not very much difference besides the bonfire but I felt a better sense of pride and community that was lacking when the bonfire was absent.

– Adriana Martin, ’29