First Major Snowfall of 23W!
Honoring a cherished Dartmouth tradition.
With barely any snow on the ground, Hanover can look pretty bleak. Frankly, the opening three weeks of winter were pretty depressing. All of that changed, however, on Friday, the 20th. Major snowfall in the Upper Valley was quickly met with Dr. Seuss’s honorary email account sharing the time-honored snowball call to arms:
Snow! There's snow! There's lots of snow!
Lots and lots of snow to throw!
You can throw it if you're cold,
You can throw it if you're old,
You can throw it if you're young
You can throw it with your tongue!
You can throw it on The Green,
You can throw it at your dean!
If in the BEMA you get lost,
Throw your snow at Robert Frost!
At midnight there will be a fight!
A snowball fight this very night!
Come jump and shout and sing and dance!
Come put snow down someone's pants!
Come join before spring alights,
In a great big giant snowball fight.
Come and throw some snow with me,
You will like it, you will see!
—Dr. Seuss
I would have loved to share photos of the massive snowball fight that took place on the Green, but I was too busy participating and, decked from head to toe in winter-proof gear, couldn’t possibly handle my iPhone. I have publicly aired my grievances with negative aspects of Dartmouth’s idiosyncratic culture,1 so it’s only fair that I recognize the positive, wonderful, amazing dimensions of my belovéd (it’s a “mostly love, a little hate” relationship) college. The unique sense of place, camaraderie, and familiar silliness demonstrated, almost ubiquitously,2 by Dartmouth students are qualities I cherish immensely.
I am belatedly, apologetically, and officially giving a hearty rouse for the college on the hill. May her old traditions continue ad infinitum.
As I did in the following piece written for the Dartmouth Review this past fall: https://dartreview.com/vox-clamantis-in-keystone/
Please don’t notice the paradox.