Luncheon with President Wright

My apologies for the lack of graphic descriptions in my blog these days.

You should understand that everyday, I took at least 10 minutes dressing up ( not making up), making sure that I have my woolen hats, gloves, enough layers of clothes and pants plus a big fat jacket , plus my keys, wallet and ipod touch before going to anywhere. Therefore , my big fat Camera is really out of the picture.

So we have this email system in Dartmouth called Blitz, where everything that happens in school will be forward to your inbox, and it is completely up to us whether to take it up in our schedule or throw it into our trashbox. So last week , these " Luncheon with President" email came in and invites the student body to sign up for tha lunch with our own President, which btw , is serving his last year as President in Dartmouth. I asked myself, " Why not?" and send my name over.

There I was with 11 other students in President Wrights' office, having lunch and talk about anything. I thought I had to act ' sophisticated' and was prepared to talk about budget cuts and the searching of the new president. But suprisingly, our conversation went to the direction that I am most familiar with:- stereotypes, culture shock ( coming to Dartmouth) and fitting in.

You think that only International students may face such problem adapting to the Dartmouth life , but it turns out that many students are insecure to just hunt for things in school that might be their "notch". Some of us talked about students who just hang out with people of their own interest, notably the atheletes, popular people, musicians, etc, and some complained that they are frustrated by the drinking on campus that just dominate the whole Dartmouth culture.

I provided some of my thoughts about fitting in as an International student, suggesting people to engage in converations to understand each others' different rather than to attach ourselves into groups. President Wright pointed out a recent study of an Economics Professor who study our 'Blitzing' ( emailing) during off terms. Many students who use the blitz keep in touch with homogenious groups, whites with whites, atheletes with atheletes etc. But ideally, why mix with people that will only reinforce but not challenges your ideas and priciples? He challenges us to meet people from diverse backgrounds who are already there in Dartmouth and learn to think beyond our established mentality.

Moreover, President Wright also explain the significance of Dartmouth Education vs a Dartmouth Degree. When I pointed out that Dartmouth is not that well known accross the world, He agrees that it is the Dartmouth Education that will make a difference in our career rather than the degree itselfs. Not many understand the education Dartmouth offers: the freedom to pick and choose among millions of opportunities on campus, to really explore our own interest and vision for the world, to interact with the people and form friendships from US students and beyond, engage in activism to scientific research alongside with faculty of high qualification... and the list goes on.

Buried among the competition to strive for academic excellence and prestigeous career in the future, this lunch reaffirms my vision for myself, to go for the Dartmouth Education. Just like old times when I chase after the UWC education over an IB diploma, I will continue to search for things that made me passionate, like I always do, without feeling guilty about it!