I'm writing this column a day early (Saturday rather than Sunday), as I'm on the road with the rugby team this weekend at the Ivy League tournament, playing in my last collegiate rugby games ever. Dartmouth routed Cornell and Princeton a combined 123 points-to-nil on Saturday, and we're up against the hated Hahvahd in the championship game on Sunday afternoon down in New York City.
Before I move on to my column, I just want to make a comment on the NFL Draft. I don't know how I feel yet about the Jets' move to trade up and get USC quarterback Mark Sanchez on the first day of the draft on Saturday. No doubt, the Jets needed a quarterback (Kellen Clemens vs. Brett Ratliff? I think not), and I think Sanchez is a solid one.
But I never thought Sanchez was an amazing, knock-your-socks-off player in college, and the J-E-T-S gave up, in my mind, a lot, by giving the Browns their second-round pick as part of the trade for Cleveland's first-round pick. The Jets desperately need help at wide receiver, and banking on a third-rounder or later-round pick to fill that void might be wishful thinking.
Back to the topic at hand: I'm sure the weather this past weekend -- 80 degrees and sunny -- was a welcome change for just about everyone in the Dartmouth community, after slogging through another brutal winter and some rain the last few weeks. Warm-weather Dartmouth is a completely different place than cold-weather Dartmouth, and it provides an opportunity for us to partake in a host of non-varsity athletic activities (most of them outdoors).
Here, therefore, are my top-three picks for warm-weather Dartmouth sporting activities. Sophomores take note, since all of these are also great diversions during the Summer term (you're not going to care about your classes anyway).
1) Play some golf.
Golf's a game that anyone can pick up, and Dartmouth is a great place to practice your skills so you can beat up on your buddies when you go back home.
The Hanover Country Club provides students with reasonable greens fees (the cost for playing a round), and it's a moderately challenging course that caters to beginning or advanced players. You can even rent golf carts with your buddies, and golf is a fantastic way to unwind for four hours. If you're just starting out and perhaps you're intimidated by the thought of playing on the course with experienced golfers, just remember to keep up the pace and you'll be fine. Slow play is the bane of golfers.
You can even take your wedges, grab some wiffle golf balls and go play on the Green. You'll get facetime and a chance to work on your short game, a perfect combination.
2) Go spend time at the docks.
I would love to put Tubestock in this spot (I'll admit I never had a chance to experience this FORMER Dartmouth tradition, and instead had the pleasure of enjoying Fieldstock my sophomore summer), so I'll have to settle for another pastime involving the Connecticut. It's weird too, since the freshmen probably have no idea what Tubestock is or why the '09's would be upset that it's not around anymore. Lest the old traditions fail, I guess.
The docks are a platform for all sorts of river-based adventures. You can take a swim on a hot day, or get your friends together to rent out a kayak and see how far you can paddle upstream. But if you really don't want to exert yourself, you can simply grab a towel and lie out on the dock to catch some rays and just bro out. The river is actually pretty nice in the warmer months, although it might not seem that way after it's been frozen over for the better part of a year.
3) Get out and run.
If you want to run when it's cold in Hanover, you either have to go use a treadmill or choose to brave the elements. But when it's warm out, there are plenty of places to go and run in the outdoors. You could choose to stay on the local roads around Hanover, taking the loop past the golf course and around Rip Road, or opt to use a cross-country/hiking trial. You'll not only get a workout in, but you'll also get to enjoy an ambiance that easily tops the interior of the Fitness Center.
