It's
about time that I detail my very first Dartmouth Homecoming experience. I’ve
been slacking on recording my life because of all of the make up assignments
I’ve had to do this week as a consequence for “festing it up” this weekend. Where
shall I begin? I know that when I'm an old alum(na), I'll probably read this
again, hoping for a (very) complete narrative in order to visualize the events
“like it was yesterday.”
For
me, the festivities started on Friday morning, when I dressed up in green.
Thinking ahead for the cold/hot conditions of the bonfire, I chose to wear
under armor and my fleece jacket underneath my long-sleeve Dartmouth ’15 shirt,
with leggings and athletic sneakers on the bottom.
Professor Perry
was kind enough to cancel class, so I was able to sleep in for once. It felt
amazing, and I was all rested for the long night ahead of me. Unfortunately,
Christesen did not cancel class, and my mind was wandering through that whole
hour of Spartan History. To make matters worse, students building the bonfire
were visible right out the window of Reed Hall, and I just couldn’t wait to get
down there at 11 AM! I met up with my roommate on the Green, and after lunch,
we had the opportunity to climb up. I think we looked stunning in our hard
hats. It was scary to use the ladder, but we faced our fears and we succeeded!
Strangely enough, our moment of victory will forever be preserved on video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d6HyICNurU).
In reality, I
had a lot of work to finish before the evening, and we made our way to Rauner
Library to study for the afternoon.
My energy spiked
ten-fold when the clock hit 6 PM. The Brace Commons Cluster Party was about to
start! I made my way downstairs to meet a floor mate handing out fluorescent
bracelets and glow-in-the-dark shade glasses and made sure I could find one of
my fellow Glee Club members. An hour of dancing ensued. We busted our moves to
the DOC classics, like “Blame It On the Boogie,” “Everytime We Touch,” and
“Salty Dog Rag.” Even though I didn’t go on a trip, I was familiar with their
traditions.
At about 7:30,
the screen in Brace Commons lifted, and the UGAs ushered us outside to wait for
the Freshman Sweep, in which the alumni and upperclassmen paraded the ‘15s
throughout campus and up Main Street to Dartmouth Hall. We Gleekers had to run
off before we even passed Berry Sports Center, but at least we saw the sweep coming our way. For the
next couple minutes, we warmed up with the “Twilight Song” and cooled down with
“Son of a Gun,” well, at least the ‘15s did, anyway. As we hit our last notes,
the upperclassmen busted some cans of Keystone and thoroughly drenched us in
the most disgusting alcoholic drink in existence. I was shivering for the rest
of our performance, and I couldn’t wait to run around the bonfire. After some long speeches by the President
(his son is adorable), the Dean, and athletic coaches/captains, the Glee Club
concluded the ceremony with “Dartmouth Undying” and the Alma Mater ("Dear Old Dartmouth, Give A Rouse!"). At the end,
they pushed us to begin our laps.
I will never
forget the rush of excitement when the bonfire was lit and we pushed our way
through the crowd to enter the ring. Burning on one side, and freezing on the
other, I had never felt so united with my class, and Dartmouth in general. To
make up for all the times I missed Dr. Kim in the dining hall, I high-fived him
THREE TIMES. Win. Unfortunately, I only ran 15 laps, while many of my floor
mates completed the 115. I wish I could have been as awesome as them.
After showering
— I felt so gross and sticky with beer in my hair, down my neck, on my back — I
changed into my “frat clothes,” since obviously my ’15 shirt would shout FRESHMAN.
Even with my roommate, a Dartmouth-obsessed guy (since I shouldn’t reveal
names), and a couple other friends, the dance parties were actually quite
disappointing, since the people got really creepy and the music wasn’t that
great. I guess nothing can compare to my very first time. Regardless, I enjoyed
my night as a whole although it ended on a less-than-ideal note. Let’s just
say, I can never listen to Rihanna’s S&M ever again without thinking about…
nevermind. Apparently it’ll be a good move in the long run to stay friends, in
order to avoid awkwardness or tension later during our college years.
--
Let the games
begin! The Dartmouth-Columbia game was so much fun. I actually didn’t show up
until the second half, but I really enjoyed spending time with the marching
band up in the bleachers. They were so enthusiastic and they made me really
want to join! Now I just need to get this metal extracted from my mouth before
I can pick up a flute or piccolo again… “Glory to Dartmouth” is on my list of
songs that I MUST learn before the end of the fall term. I did hang out with
Dartmouth-obsessed guy up front after he rushed the field (lucky him!) but I
have to admit, it was a little awkward since none of our other friends were
with us, and it was definitely not as interesting as the marching band. Of
course, I abandoned him! Haha… so mean…
Well, I wasn’t that mean. We played tennis afterward,
and he beat me 4-6. I just can’t seem to figure out his slices to save my life!
Grr…
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