<p>Apparently some of the 16’s who are in a specific cluster have upperclassmen/women who are mentoring them this year. S got a nice email from his mentor who is in a similar major and has similar interests. Invited him to dinner with his two other '16s. Sounds like a great program. </p>
<p>Coureur: Section G of trips begins this Wednesday the 29th.</p>
<p>Made reservations for Simon Pearce on the night of orientation. Looking forward to it. Lots of great recommendations here.</p>
<p>The people he will meet at Dartmouth will leave lasting impressions. </p>
<p>Another '15 from Hawaii will be leading some challenging hiking trips.</p>
<p>Enjoy Simon Pearce and make sure to watch some glass blowing. Their stemware and other items are really nice. When we found out they had $25 flat rate shipping for anything and everything we blew the kids inheritance and bought a ton of beautiful glass ware. The fedex box barely fit through our front door. Well, it was big. Just saying. Enjoy this stage in your life!</p>
<p>We’re here for the first time! D checks-in tomorrow for her DOC trip, section E. I’ve read your glowing comments about the campus and environs for months, but my family and I were still overwhelmed by its charm. :)</p>
<p>Sounds like a plan Magnum!
Hard_Knocks…SO excited for you! It’s a magical place, isn’t it?
Can’t wait until we return next week.
Son’s bags are packed and he’s spending time with friends before a family dinner.
Off to put him on the plane in LA on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Hard_Knocks, I just noticed that you are from Orange County. Correct? So am I (originally). Foothill High '80.</p>
<p>My son (Class of '16) returned to campus this afternoon after finishing this weekend a hiking/rock-climbing trip with 12 of his Dartmouth classmates. He told me that he had a wonderful time. A great start to four exciting years in Hanover!</p>
<p>I am also from the OC back in the day, Sunny Hills (sometime in the 70’s.)</p>
<p>sunnydays and GA2012, Small world! For many years we lived in North Tustin, just north of Foothill High. </p>
<p>toombs, I’m heartened to hear your son enjoyed his trip. What will he be doing before move-in day? We’re lucky that D will be able to drop off her belongings in her dorm room tomorrow morning. </p>
<p>sunndays, I bet our children are in the same cluster. We were initially confused/concerned that one of her suitemates is a sophomore, but now understand that the sophomore is her UGA. The arrangement still strikes me as odd, but sharing space with the UGA may help my D step out of her introverted comfort zone.</p>
<p>Hard_Knocks, my son is already in his room. He gained early access to it last week because he had to be on campus for pre-season rugby practice. I just hope he doesn’t get his brains beaten out of him playing a game about which he knows next to nothing. He might need them when school starts.</p>
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<p>Me too. I lived in Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Westminster, and San Clemente at various times. My elder daughter was born in Newport Beach. I live in north county San Diego now.</p>
<p>When I am back in OC, I have a tradition. I go to San Clemente, there is a great shop that makes the best leather flip flops and I buy myself a pair. Then go to the pier and have a bucket of clams and cold beer and watch the sun go down. Then I’m ready to go back to real life.</p>
<p>GAMOM, love that! D is leaving Hanover today after a wonderful 12X. She is off fall term, so she is very sad saying goodbye to her friends. However, she really needs a break from the studying, so she is very excited also. As she sees all of the 16’s arriving, though, she just wants to be a freshman again. The years go by too fast (which as adults, we can really relate to).</p>
<p>I was talking to my D the other day (she is an 08) and she said, "I cant believe that the '16’s are getting reading to start school. We laughed about her DOC, trip and her being dirty and smelly on the way home and how they cried when they left each other (like they were not going to return to Hanover in a couple of weeks). </p>
<p>Dumbo, I can relate as D and the friends went abroad right after their sophomore summer and had a leave term in the winter, not returning to Hanover until the spring. Our house was the stop off point, for all of the friends coming through NY on the way home (for a couple of days it was on big sleepover). She remembers those days fondly as she just went to dinner last week with a lot of those friends.</p>
<p>Hey '16 parents (& Crew parents) do you see your kids here? [Welcome</a> Home 16’s!](<a href=“http://www.■■■■■■■■■■/photos/dartmouthflickr/sets/72157631201382506/show/]Welcome”>First-Year Trips 2012 | Flickr)</p>
<p>Oh and another interesting article for parents:</p>
<p>[Grounding</a> the helicopter parent - The Washington Post](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/grounding-the-helicopter-parent/2012/08/24/bc164088-ebcc-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html]Grounding”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/grounding-the-helicopter-parent/2012/08/24/bc164088-ebcc-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html)</p>
<p>Good Gracious! We are (or were) OC kids…at one time. I am from North Tustin also. Right above FHS. I was just there with my son the night before we drove to LAX to put him on the plane yesterday. Stayed with my Dad who has been in practice for 50! YEARS!!! Something about growing up with all of those oranges and avocados must have made us social people. 
It’s so great to hear all of these stories. Our son #2 who has always wanted to go to the Naval Academy and younger daughter are now both starting to dream of Dartmouth.
GA2012MOM I spent a few summers weeks in San Clemente as a kid. I think that’s a great routine.
Our son started his trip today. He must be slumbering in the field house right now.
The weather news says we may have thunderstorms during orientation next week…and I was planing to wear my usual white linen pants and sandals! HA! Such a CA person. I don’t really OWN socks.</p>
<p>We dropped off D on Monday for her trip, but will rejoin her this weekend to help her unpack and make Walmart runs for forgotten items. In the meantime we’re EATING our way through Vermont, yikes! Maple syrup and candies, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, artisan beers, etc. I may have to buy larger clothes before we leave. 
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<p>Magnum, Thanks for providing the link for photos. I hope more are posted from this week, but even so, what a thrill to have this inside peak at the welcome for '16ers.</p>
<p>toombs, Congrats to your son for having the bravery to pursue a new sport. D wants to join the woodsmen group, though she’d probably be the slightest one in the class/club. Heck, but don’t the smallest/thinnest girls usually win the eating contests?</p>
<p>Have fun Hard_knocks and fellow '16 parents during your launch. </p>
<p>In addition to Walmart, take a look at TJ Maxx in West Lebanon for dorm stuff, prices were comparable to Walmart and Kmart, but with a little more flair. I understand flair is an important part of the Dartmouth experience. </p>
<p>Get ready for football season too. First game is September 15 and we will be sending a hundred Hawaiian Ti plant leaves via fed-ex to our kids to pass out to the student section. Go Big Green!</p>
<p>Magnum I read your earlier posts about the Ti Leaves and alerted my son to look for them at the football games. Somehow this all makes Dartmouth feel like a very small and connected community. I hope it will become that for him. Thank you for this lovely tradition.</p>
<p>So, I have a question. I was a college kid in the 80’s when “prep” was the thing. How preppy is Dartmouth these days? My impression is that it’s kind of LL Bean woodsy prep but not so much Brooks Brothers prep. But I could be very wrong. Just wondering because I know I’ll get the itch to send some packages and wouldn’t want to dress the kid crazy!</p>
<p>Science Guy and I leave for LAX tomorrow and are looking forward to a great dinner at Antico Forno in Boston on Sunday followed by Mikes cannoli! I wonder if I can get a box of cannoli to Hanover in a chilled bag for the kids? Hum…could be popular with the kids in the cluster.</p>
<p>Reading this thread makes me so happy…our kids are sure in a wonderful, warm place (no pun intended when it gets to be 25 below). DM really is such a nice community.
I wanted to let the 16 parents know about transporation if they fly into Manchester. We have used UVRide.com on many occasions. Randy Heller is very nice, he is always prompt, vehicles are very clean, and it is an easy, safe way to get to Manchester airport (which is closer than Boston, and in our case, usually cheaper). Just wanted to let 16 parents know of this service, as sometimes it’s hard to find out about these things.</p>