Editor’s note: This year, William Ryan kept tradition alive by being the single ’08 to rush the field. The following is an edited interview with him.

TDI: Can you describe your preparations for rushing the field?

WR: I'd been hearing about this whole "field rushing" thing ever since I came to Dartmouth. Almost all of what I'd heard was controversial, except for a couple things: It was done during the Homecoming football game, because at one point it had been made illegal by the College.

It wasn't until a few days before Homecoming that I'd actually decided I was going to rush the field. I never considered NOT rushing the field. Even weighing the risks, I realized that they could never outweigh this burden upon me. The burden of tradition.

When I woke up that morning, I kissed my girlfriend, and then walked over to CVS, to pick out a mask. I grabbed the cheapest one - a five dollar Scream mask. Even with something of this importance, my frugal nature won out.

At the game, I decided that I had to rush from the Harvard stands to the Dartmouth side. I was hoping that in their wild cheering, I could rip off the mask and jersey and blend in amongst them. It never occurred to me that I wouldn't make it. I didn't even consider the possibility of failure. In fact, I knew it wouldn't matter. I had rushed the field. The outcome was nothing compared to the actual act.

TDI: Could you give a short account of your actual field rush and its immediate aftermath?

WR: As the Dartmouth band was wrapping up, and the two teams were coming back onto the field, I could hear the Dartmouth stands chanting "RUSH THE FIELD! RUSH THE FIELD!" At this point I had put on my Class of 2008 jersey, but my mask was still hidden. At that moment, I felt my only bout of indecision. I could hear them chanting, I was holding the mask, I had counted literally twenty officers on the field (this was later confirmed to me by HPo - there were eight police and twelve sheriffs). I could see the solid line of officers in front of the Dartmouth benches. Just then I looked to my left, and I saw one of the event staff - I sincerely wish I knew who the guy was, so I could thank him. He looked at me excitedly and asked, "Are you going to rush?"

That was it - I could feel his enthusiasm, and I was set. I put on my mask and jumped the bleachers, tearing out onto the field. At that point, I heard the Dartmouth crowd burst into a roar, and in that instant it was all worth it. I knew that I alone had the respect and affection of the Dartmouth community. No matter what would befall me, that moment would be stuck in my mind forever. And then I was running. Just running, no other thought in my mind. I'd already seen that no one else was going to run, and so I knew that I couldn't make it. The officers had formed a line.

At that point, it was damage control. Lots of people have commented with some humor on the fact that I just ran basically into the arms of that sheriff. To be completely honest, I did. People say that I could have turned around, gotten back onto the Harvard bleachers, and slipped out that way. It was possible, but unlikely. At that point, I was too mentally focused on reaching the Dartmouth bleachers. I knew in my heart that to have turned around and run to the Harvard side would have destroyed all I had gained. It was Dartmouth or nothing. I didn't run around unnecessarily, I didn't evade the cops, I didn't resist. That was entirely damage control.

After that, there is little to tell of interest. I was cuffed and put into the squad car, brought back to the police station. They asked me a million questions, some pretty ridiculous, and then fingerprinted me. Eventually I got turned over to a kind S&S officer, who drove me back to my dorm.

TDI: Why did you do it?

WR: For a couple of reasons, actually. I knew just before I rushed that I would be the only one. It was either my sacrifice or the dishonor of my entire class. Even if I wasn’t going to do it for personal reasons at this point, I knew that I had to do it for my class. The other reason I decided to rush was because of the College itself. Dartmouth is distinguished by its unique character. I don't feel like I have to describe it to you, because if you care enough to read this article, you already understand. It is amazing to me that the administration collects a thousand people of our attitude and then they expect us to conform to their wishes. But yes, the reason that I rushed was because it was the Dartmouth thing to do: defy authority and defend our traditions. I wonder if the students and administration have ever actually listened to the words of the Alma Mater. Let me point out a few critical passages:

Dear old Dartmouth, set a watch,
Lest the old traditions fail.
Stand as sister stands by brother,
Dare a deed for thee old Mother.

I feel that I was doing exactly what Dartmouth claims to uphold. I was daring a deed for my old Mother, for Dartmouth College. I was setting a watch, so that tradition would not fail; I ran because I love the College with my entire being. I urge all '09s to rush next year, and I will be in the stands, cheering them on.

TDI: What was the fallout, punishment-wise?

WR: The administration had me meet with Dean Colleen Larimore, to discuss the incident and my punishment. I would like to thank the administration for not coming down harder upon me. I received a fine of $100, and three terms probation. The only punishment that I feared, the punishment that would have utterly devastated me, would have been suspension. The College is my home, and I would never want to be forced away from it.

That isn't all, however. I had a court date set for November 30th on the charges of criminal trespassing. The prosecutor sent me a letter offering me what seems to be a plea bargain for $200, although it is surrounded by so much legalese that I'm going to call him up and ask him what the letter actually means. Furthermore, I intend to enter a plea of nolo contendere if at all possible. I don't feel that I am guilty of a crime, but I am fully prepared to accept the charges that the laws of the United States have created for this circumstance. There is a difference.

TDI: How do you feel about how the administration has responded to your "crime"?

WR: I am thankful that they were not as harsh as they could have been. Although I still believe, and will always believe, that this was a ridiculous incident, I accept their punishment. Henry David Thoreau talks about civil disobedience in a famous essay of that same name. He says that if we believe that a law is unjust, and that it violates our conscience to obey it, that we should break the law, and willingly accept the consequences. Just as he (at his insistence, I might add) was arrested for refusing to pay a tax to support the Mexican war, I was arrested for refusing to let our traditions be destroyed one after another.

TDI: Was it worth it?

WR: Absolutely.

TDI: How have fellow students reacted when you tell them? Your parents?

WR: Only two students I have told were not supportive of my actions - both of them 06s I might add - and I think that one of them was under obligation to say so, being a UGA. Other than that, I received overwhelming respect and support from my fellow classmates and the upperclassmen alike. To generalize the responses, the 08s were happy someone saved their collective class's ass, and the others were damn impressed that someone actually ran the risks of rushing the field. A couple memorable moments included having people ask me to take a picture with them, as well as a Thayer student taking me into the basement of Sigma Nu and shouting to the entire room that I was the only 08 to rush the field. Later that night they let me take a Presidential - what an experience that certainly was. Treatment like that makes me heavily consider pledging Sigma Nu when my day finally arrives.

Another amazing source of support was the alumni, actually. They stopped me on the street and asked me what happened, especially the ones who were actually able to spell their class number on the football field; one guy even asked if I needed a lawyer. The popular support for rushing the field is overwhelming.

My mother, surprisingly enough, didn't seem to care too much. You have to understand, my mother was a legendary prankster during her college days at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Hell, I think that she was even a little bit proud of me, perhaps. In some sense, it was great to tell her, because I got to one-up her college experiences. As for my father, he doesn't know, and I don't expect him to find out. *ahem*

TDI: Realistically, can our administrative policies be changed/traditions restored by student activism. And if so, what needs to be done?

WR: This is a difficult issue. I think that the student body will have the hardest time of any group to affect a change on Dartmouth College. The parents and alumni hold the money, and money is power. The Greek system wasn't disbanded because the alumni came together to oppose it. The other problem is what happens when you look at it from the administration's perspective - they can get sued if people are injured. This liability is their biggest problem. When the alumni put their money together, it becomes greater than the amount that they might lose from being sued, and thus change occurs.

Realistically, the students, because they lack the money of alumni, probably cannot change the College’s policy, but ideally, we definitely can. We just need to show some of that spirit that separates Dartmouth from our more docile Ivy League companions.