Canoeing up the Connecticut today, I decided to check whether the rope swing had been reattached to its tree. Sadly I discovered the situation to be much worse. The entire rope swing tree and much of the shore on which it was perched has broken off of the river-front hill and completely slid into the water below. On shore is left a gaping hole where the massive tree's roots once rested-- where classes of students forged fond memories of Hanover in summer and Dartmouth at its best.
The rope swing tree of my time was not the only one of its kind. Responding to town concerns about late-night noises coming from a previous rope swing in 2001, H-Po cut down the rope before later cutting down the entire tree. The same thing happened again in 2002 and 2003. Suffice it to say, the move did not improve H-Po's reputation among the students, or the student's relationship with the town. Many criticized the college and the town for destroying students' fun, eliminating mildly hazardous pastimes however much they positively impact the Dartmouth Experience, and however much similar dangers are allowed to continue (looking at you, Dartmouth Skiway).
Thus ends another Dartmouth tradition. May future classes invent another.
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