"Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice."
~Robert Frost
Guided by Professor Crumbine, my Writing 5 class spent over half an hour today contemplating the niceties of Frost's classic. Beyond the universal implications of romance and religion, though, the imagery of this poem resonated with two campus events from earlier in the week.
On Sunday, a fire sent residents of Phi Delta Theta out into the snow. They watched as their possessions were consumed by flames and ruined by water damage. A more complete story and photos can be found at The Dartmouth's report on the event. Almost immediately, campus organizations banded together to help provide the brothers with necessities such as winter-wear and towels through donations from the student body. Dozens of Blitzes sent within hours of the fire and collection boxes established in the entrances of many buildings that day attest to the quality of Dartmouth's community.
Also over the weekend, the brothers at Chi Heorot attempted to build an ice rink in the yard behind their house. The rink was constructed of compressed wood sides and clear plastic sheeting. As no tape or other sealants were used, all the would-be ice flowed out and formed a treacherous sheet around the geographic low point- the back exit of Andres. There are now wood planks upon which to cross the ice, but suspiciously proximate rolls of duct tape and new layers of black plastic sheeting suggest that the brothers might be gearing up for round two. This, too, attests to the quality of Dartmouth's community.
Was Frost perhaps watching all this from his perch in College Park and reciting to himself, "Some say..."?
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| The attempted ice rink behind Chi Heorot To the left Andres, in the middle The White House, to the right Chi Heorot © Callista Womick 2010 |
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