Why do we come to Dartmouth? Well, according to the always helpful and oftentimes controversial "Ask Dartmouth" feature on the Dartmouth website, 20 percent of students come to play varsity sports. Okay, so I'm in the four out of five who doesn't.
That's cool.
Oh wait, "By most estimates, nearly 80 percent of Dartmouth undergraduates participate in some form of varsity, sub-varsity, club, or intramural athletics." And now I'm in the one out of five. Eff.
I don't know if that many students actually come to Dartmouth because of athletics, but an awful lot of Dartmouth students sure do make athletics a dominant part of their time here. And then there's me. Sure, I'm a P.E. athlete this term, but I'm clearly in the minority of Dartmouth students. Am I missing out? Perhaps. If 80 percent of Dartmouth students actually make athletic competition part of their Dartmouth experience, then maybe I am missing an integral aspect of life here.
Or maybe not.
Just because you might fall among the minority of students that do not participate in competitive athletics doesn't mean you're missing out. Still, the fact remains that sports play an overwhelming role on campus. In fact, this role seems to be so great that it's probably an indicator of the type of applicant Dartmouth attracts. That makes sense. After all, Hanover is a great venue for extracurricular athletics. Too bad it will be too cold in a couple of weeks for marathon games of whatever it is people play on the Green.
Um, wrong.
The first hint of winter is my favorite time of year. There's nothing quite like feeling that cool, clean, almost-Canadian air as you hurry to class in the morning. It's refreshing.
It also serves notice that the best season is upon us: ski season. I know, I know. It's too early to think about ski season -- Halloween was just last night. And yes, for those who saw me, I was Dr. Acula.
Well, that'd be wrong again. It's never too early to think about ski season.
I once went skiing with a man who told me that he wakes up every day and thinks about how lucky he is to be able to ski. And this was coming from someone who has found incredible fortune professionally. The truth is, we are all incredibly lucky to be able to ski. It's one of the most enjoyable activities on the planet.
For those who haven't skied, you must. For those who have skied and didn't like it, nobody's perfect. The thing is, if you are lucky enough to be a skier, it's a love affair you'll cherish your entire life.
Why do we come to Dartmouth? I've been asking myself this question a lot the past few weeks, and the truth is, I don't know. There were a lot of things that drew me to Dartmouth, and I'm not just referring to the common application. I remember driving home with my mom after visiting during spring break my junior year of high school and saying, "I wish I would've done better in high school because this is what a college should be."
Well, things worked out in the end, but I don't think I was ever fully honest with myself. I visited on a beautiful winter day. The 13 paths on the Green were freshly plowed and the snow covering the seven otherwise-grassy sections glistened under the afternoon sun. No, I hadn't just wanted to go to Dartmouth because it represents the ideals of what a college should be. Rather, I was drawn to our College on the Hill because this is what a skier's college should be. And the snow can't fall soon enough.
