Of ten thousand odd yearly applicants, only 20 percent are admitted. Just over a thousand will matriculate. But here is the downside to so much excellence and preparation of a certain sort. Wednesday night is also the night Dartmouth fraternities and sororities hold their weekly house meetings. Afterwards many Greek students wander from house to house to visit friends and drink.
Tonight is no exception.
Earlier the same Wednesday, the sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma put a perky note in the foyer of our faculty apartment house, letting the five of us faculty who live across the street know about the upcoming party. I identify myself and let her know the party's loud and that it's the middle of the week. I thank her. Twenty minutes later as Wednesday Greek house meetings end, students are pouring out of their fraternities and sororities by the carload, all heading for Kappa Kappa Gamma. Four Dartmouth men are urinating at the entrance to Kappa Kappa Gamma's driveway as students pile out of Jeep Grand Cherokees and other kinds of SUVs.