La Belle Vie: Green Key edition
A week ago she called me: "So, what's this big party that's going on next weekend then?"
Now, there she had me. Try as I might, I haven't been able to get my head around Green Key. What is it? I know that I'm a) foreign, and b) a grad student, and am therefore, by definition, out of the loop, but none of the undergrads I ask seem to have a clue either.
"It's very unclear compared to our other big holidays," Claire Michaud '12 told me. "It's just us being happy that finally we have some good weather."
Hmm. So what does one do during Green Key?
"Just bumming around pretty much — being outside," Carlo Pizzinelli '12 said. Right. Not much to go on there.
The next question my over-excited friend asked me was inevitable: "What do people wear?"
Another potential minefield. I have been writing this column long enough to know that nobody at Dartmouth dresses like me. I needed the advice of some seasoned Green Key-ers. What is the ultimate Green Key outfit?
"A sundress, for girls," Pizzinelli informed me.
"Yeah, a sundress and flip-flops maybe," Michaud chimed in. "Because your feet will get really nasty but you can just wash them off."
Delightful. And the ultimate Green Key no-no?
"High heels," Michaud said decisively. "Or something sparkly."
"A blazer," Pizzinelli added. "Or dress shoes."
So, basically, nothing fancy. Got it. So, what happens if it rains?
"I would wear leggings, Hunter boots and a cute top," Michaud said. "Cute - but still machine washable."
Jacket?
"I have a 'fracket' — it's a cheaper fleece jacket with pockets that I can put all my stuff in," Michaud told me.
"Yeah, you don't want to bring stuff," Pizzinelli said emphatically.
Right. Nothing hand-wash, no heels, no stuff. But what if, you know, you want to look nice?
They both looked kind of surprised at the question.
"[Guys] could wear a shirt that buttons up, but technically it should be Easter-egg colored," Michaud said, a little dubiously. "If you're wearing a dress, that equals making an effort."
So the vibe I'm getting is half beach-party, half sweaty abandoned-warehouse rave. I'll try pitching that to my friend, but I have a feeling that Green Key is just one of those things you can’t explain. You just have to live it.