In the midst of debate about the social order on campus we tend to overlook some of the best qualities of social life at the College. This was revealed to me last weekend when I visited a campus on the other extreme, where a laid-back social atmo-sphere is not taken for granted because it doesn't exist.
Last weekend was the mother of all roadtrips. A good friend of mine attends Hollins College, a womens college in Virginia. She is having trouble adjusting so my college buddies and I traveled 750 miles to cheer her up and attended the Hollins Fall Formal. We were set up with four blind dates.
As we sped out of the Upper Valley, we could still hear the echoes, "Vote YES!, Vote NO!, Reform SA!" I put the pedal to the floor. We had to escape all these groups with exclamation points in their names. I needed a vacation from the exclamation point groups.
So we headed south and found ourselves in a brand new social setting. None of us had ever hung out at a former(?) finishing school for southern belles. Even today many of these women are looking for their MRS. degree. This was the one weekend when they did not have to drive to Washington and Lee or Hampton-Sydney to meet men.
It did not take long to realize that this may be a nice place to visit but there was plenty of stuff we missed. Back in New England we had left a system where the beer was free, people danced and any student at the College was welcome.
We had entered a land where the social rules were strict and worse yet, we had no idea what the rules were. The dance floor was shocked by our animated dancing. One might have overheard comments like, "I think that boy just ran into that other boy." and "I don't recognize what they are singing but I think it is about people with brains made out of granite."
The differences between Hollins and Dartmouth helped me realize that their are many aspects of the social system at Dartmouth that I take for granted.
The large majority of the parties here require no tickets or invites, anyone can go.
If you have a wristband you can get alcohol for free with absolutely no hassle. At many parties there is a band or a DJ despite the lack of a cover charge.
All of this combines to create an atmosphere where students generally feel comfortable. This comfort is displayed in the number of students dancing upstairs and amiably mingling in the basement. In contrast to Hollins, these students are free from any concerns about strict social rules.
As the Greek system evolves, we should keep in mind this comfortable social atmosphere. As things change, they should not move in a direction that decreases the number of people who feel comfortable in the Dartmouth social setting.
However, we should never assume that the status quo is the best system and that any changes would threaten the laid-back nature of the Dartmouth social scene. In fact, there are plenty of changes that would increase the number of students who feel welcome in the system.
As my friends and I returned to Hanover, we did so with a refreshed view of college social systems. We have seen a clear example of what to avoid and have been reminded of the good things we have here.
At one o'clock Monday morning the Upper Valley was still ringing with the shouts of the exclamation point groups. I had gotten away from them for awhile and could once again stomach it all, but I still was not represented.
Maybe I'll start my own exclamation point group. Coming up with a catchy title might be hard.
All I have right now is: Think Things Through, Experience All You Can, and Make Intelligent Decisions! That is never going to fit on the posters.
