Dartmouth students live in 10-week cycles. The start of a term is always exciting — fresh classes and activities make Dartmouth feel new again, even if you’re in your fifth consecutive on term. By week three or four, club meetings, social events and midterms all settle into a steady rhythm. But in the blink of an eye, finals arrive. Weeks eight through 10 flash by, then the whole cycle begins again.
Lately, we can’t seem to stop thinking about time. Now that we’re already in week eight, it feels like this term flew by as fast as — or faster than — any other. Despite major disruptions to our daily lives, we’ve settled into new routines and found ways to function amid uncertainty and boredom. Students who left campus hastily at the end of winter term have learned to live without essential belongings, from clothes to calculator chargers. In town, restaurant owners have been working to keep staff employed and customers satisfied. And like so many people stuck at home, Mirror writers have baked bread, crafted and dreamed some truly bizarre dreams.
While the setting looks different, the rhythms of this term feel familiar. As spring term draws to a close, however, we’re once again facing the great unknown: What will the summer bring? Who will return to campus in the fall? Dartmouth has announced plans to ship students their belongings, Hanover businesses are gradually reopening to the public and here at Mirror, we’re eager to reunite with friends in our favorite campus spots. For now, no one can tell how the next few months will unfold. But whether we’re ready or not, time is about to reset and our routines will shift again — even if it feels like we just got into the swing of things.
