Mount David Summit is this once-a-year event in which students present their research/thesis/activity/passion…. I guess the list goes on and on. Some times there are group presentations, and for the most part, people design huge posters that get printed out on glossy paper to be displayed. Most of these students present their thesis work, and that basically means they stand next to their poster and answer questions that people might have. The atrium in Pettengill is packed, and I always end up knocking into people trying to navigate the crowd to find my friends’ posters. I typically have no idea what they’re talking about, and I get the impression that they usually get a bit tired of answering lame questions, like defining what it is they’re working with. I mean, they’ve spent all year/semester investigating and reading up on something, and I’m just not usually capable of asking them challenging questions– something which I think ultimately bores the typical Batesie. Or at least the Batesie that presents at Mount David.
I should mention that Mount David Summit is named for the (small) mountain behind Rand and New Rand Village. Before that new dorm was built, people would steal trays from old commons (they were bigger than the new ones) and slide down the hill. There have been various incarnations of this “traying team”. Another thing Mount David is great for is the quick hike for a view, which seniors typically climb the night before/morning of graduation. On top of that, apparently the first person you kiss on the top of Mount David is the one that you marry…. so maybe that’s where the inter-Batesie marriage statistic comes from….
