Campus Life - Letters from Dartmouth College

Green eggs and ham

By Yoko Kubo

September means "back to school" for most American students. For many, this period is not greeted with the utmost enthusiasm, but for several others - especially those who are just about to embark on their college careers - it is a time of excitement and anxiety.

昨年の今ごろ、オリエンテーションの一環として行なわれたハイキングに参加した筆者(手前、左)。

Dartmouth College, nestled in the depths of rural New Hampshire, a 2 1/2-hour bus drive away from Boston, is not exactly the epitome of civilization. To be honest, I was more than a little dismayed when I arrived on campus this time last year and saw the little strip of old-fashioned boutiques that is known as Main Street.

My first impression of Dartmouth College was of its central lawn (called The Green) surrounded by quaint brick buildings. In front of these, a group of students were square-dancing in luminously colored spandex to welcome the new students. It was a really beautiful campus, but I admit I was a little worried at first as to whether the dancing passed for normal at Dartmouth.

What was most discernible was the greenness of everything: Not just the immaculate campus lawns and the sprawling mountains, but even the students' outfits almost always included Dartmouth's official color, green.

Unlike other universities, the Dartmouth term starts fairly late - toward the end of September. The hordes of freshmen milling around the campus at this time are the newest members of the 4,000-plus undergraduate student body that makes up Dartmouth College. For me, the adjustment to life at an American college from one at a high school in England was admittedly not too much of a culture shock, but at the time, I found even the most trivial of things to be a source of worry. What clothes do I bring? How many towels should I pack? What if everyone else was too smart and I was just accepted by mistake?

However, what dispelled such trifling thoughts was the DOC (Dartmouth Outing Club) trip, which is the part of Orientation that cannot go without mention. This involves "roughing it" in the New Hampshire wilderness for two nights and three days together with 12 strangers. I signed up for Easy Hiking (which, by the way, was nowhere near as easy as I'd expected) with a very international group comprised of at least six different nationalities. The vast majority of Dartmouth freshmen choose to participate in a DOC trip as the experience proves to be invaluable.

Trudging up the rocky slope with an 18-kg pack on my back, in a world with no toilets or showers and where the only thing we had to drink was rainwater mixed with Koolaid, I confess that my initial feelings were ones of regret. Nevertheless, it did make all my other problems seemed somewhat insignificant, and the breathtaking view at the top was a more than ample reward for the suffering we endured.

The culmination of the DOC trip was no doubt the final night at the lodge, where all the groups met to share their individual experiences and to celebrate the end of their adventures and the start of their college life with true Dartmouth wackiness.

A dinner show was put on by upperclassmen, while our drinks were served in cups that were balanced on our heads; the salad was thrown onto our plates (I discovered M&M's in mine) and lasagna was strung down from the ceiling. Dinner was followed by dancing and then the next morning, a breakfast of "green eggs and ham" (not the most appetizing thing to wake up to, especially as the orange juice and milk are dyed green as well), following in the tradition inspired by the book written by the famous Dartmouth alumni, Dr. Seuss.

The DOC trip served as a truly unforgettable introduction to Dartmouth, and in my case definitely eased the transition into college life. This year, as a sophomore and therefore having matured (hopefully) from all the experiences that I had in my first year, I guess it will be my turn to welcome our newest members into the Dartmouth community!

Shukan ST: Oct. 4, 2002

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