On the North end of Dartmouth College's Hanover, New Hamsphire campus lies a singularity. Among acreage dominated by cold conformist brick, the Bradley building, and the adjunct Gerry, stands for individuality. Clearly a product of the 1970's, Bradley's facade isn't brick, but tile, tile in various shades of blue. Students have dubbed it "The Shower Tower", with scornful intent. To many it is the ugliest structure on campus. So many Dartmouth students are, in fact, glad that Bradley, a haven for math kids on a liberal arts campus, is scheduled to be torn down in the near future.

But this shouldn't really come as a shock. If most students thrive on and embrace Dartmouth's frat-jock society, and cry out for the perseverance of "the old traditions", then love for another conformist Dartmouth relic, the brick facade, shouldn't surprise anyone.

To me, at least, the Shower Tower, a name I use with deep affection, stands as a testament that Dartmouth does, in fact, have room for deviation from the norm, for individuality. It's a great big "fuck you" to conformist Dartmouth.

That's why I love it. That's why its destruction would be so incredibly devastating. It would serve as a fatal dictate: deviation from social norms cannot survive in Hanover.

Last term, as a joke, I started "SToPS": the Shower TOwer Preservation Society. (*sigh* The "o" in "SToPS" comes from "Tower"). Its motto: "the crane SToPS here". Of course it existed in word only, and any serious follow-up was aborted by my temporary withdrawl from the school. But maybe Dartmouth really needs a SToPS. Because when they tear down the Shower Tower, they'll tear down almost all of my tolerance for life at Dartmouth College with it. Because I don't want to learn advanced Calculus theories anywhere else but the Shower Tower.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.