Last weekend's Tubestock was everything it was supposed to be. The sun was shining, the water was warm and everyone was out there enjoying the day. It didn't matter that most of the rafts sunk or that we all got burned to a crisp, Tubestock was great. More than anything else, it clearly showed that Dartmouth students know how to enjoy themselves. Unfortunately, I can hardly say the same thing about the administration.
Last Saturday, after five hours of Tubestock I felt I was about ready to go home. I decided that since I would have to walk back to campus barefoot (somehow during the course of the afternoon I had lost my sandals), thirsty (I had also lost my water bottle) and in nothing but a bathing suit (I also lost my clothes) I would try to get out of the river as close to campus as possible. I slowly drifted down stream towards the Ledyard docks when all of a sudden up bounds a conscientious Safety and Security guard gesticulating wildly. At first I panicked thinking I was in some sort of Jaws sequel. "Jaws 4: Terror on the Connecticut. What happens when the big white shark feels like having something Greek for lunch".
After looking around me and seeing nothing but a floating bikini top, I realized he was trying to indicate I couldn't get out there. Okay, I thought, "I'll just paddle a little more and get off down at the boathouse." I heard an electronic walkie-talkie signal reverberate through the air and all of a sudden out pops another Safety and Security guard on the deck of the boat house. "Well fine" I thought getting slightly irritated "I'll just get off at the swim dock." As a start to drift along I see the S&S officer bolt out of the boat house. She's sweating, she's panicking, she's not sure she can make it in time to head me off at the pass. Then, with a bolt of superhuman speed she makes it just in time to stand on the dock glaring at me triumphantly. After that I gave up and got out on the Vermont side where there were no S&S officers but also no safe docks or ladders. After three unsuccessful attempts in which I slipped on the jagged, moss covered rocks and fell back into the river, I finally managed to climb out of the water.
Why couldn't I get out of the water on the Dartmouth side? I'm sure it has something to do with alcohol but I wasn't drinking. If S&S had wanted to stand there with a straight line and a breathalyzer I wouldn't have cared. Maybe Dartmouth didn't want students getting out on their side because it would look like they condone Tubestock's wild, party behavior. But this same behavior doesn't seem to worry them on the other big weekends of the year. The bonfire, the keg jump and Green Key's outdoor bands have the same sort of atmosphere and behavior as Tubestock, yet there's no rule that we have to drive out of state to attend these events. That, would be ridiculous. Another explanation is that Dartmouth has this rule to protect itself from any drunk accidents that happen out on the river.
By barring students from the docks maybe legally Dartmouth is protected, but certainly not morally. I was completely sober and had difficulty getting up those rocks; I can only imagine how hard it would have been for someone who was drunk. It is extremely fortunate that no one was hurt. Keeping students off Dartmouth property was probably a wise move financially but it certainly wasn't an admirable one.
