At eight o'clock Thursday morning, 300 eight-foot long landscape ties will be delivered to the center of the Green and the Class of 1999 will commence construction on its Dartmouth Night bonfire.
The freshmen will build the 62-tier bonfire from dawn until dusk on Thursday and Friday. The bonfire will be lit Friday night during the Dartmouth Night ceremonies as part of Homecoming weekend.
Hammond and Sons Construction will deliver the ties, which are railroad ties that were cut and set out to dry last spring.
This year marks the third consecutive time that bonfire construction will begin on the Thursday before Homecoming.
Traditionally, freshmen were allowed to start building the bonfire on Monday. But in 1992, College officials changed that policy following numerous confrontations between upperclassmen and members of the Class of 1996 who were guarding the structure.
Physical Education Director Ken Jones, who oversees the bonfire construction, said recent serious problems -- including a "full-fledged riot" on the Green and freshmen setting up camp to protect the bonfire from destruction -- prompted the stricter guidelines.
Despite the shorter amount of time the freshmen have to build the towering inferno, Jones said two days is "adequate time" to complete the bonfire.
According to College rules, no students will be allowed in the bonfire area after dusk on Thursday and a restraining rope will surround the structure at a distance of 110 feet.
"Freshmen aren't going to be responsible for guarding the bonfire," Dhruv Prasad '99 said. Prasad and Nahoko Kawayu '99 are the co-chairs of the bonfire committee, which organizes and directs the building of the mammoth structure.
Prasad said Safety and Security would guard the bonfire Thursday night.
The bonfire used to be made of railroad ties, but the State of New Hampshire no longer allows railroad ties to be burned because they contain petroleum products and other chemicals. The landscape ties now used are non-treated lumber.
The base of the bonfire will be 33 tiers high in the form of a six-point star. The next 22 tiers form a hexagon, which will be topped by a seven-tier square. The ties weigh 125 to 175 pounds each. The eventual height of the bonfire will top 40 feet.
The inside of the structure will be filled with clean wood fill, which will be doused with kerosene prior to lighting. Freshmen will nail six-foot tall class numerals to the top.
If the freshmen "work hard, it works well having a rotation schedule," Jones said. To hoist the ties up to the pinnacle of the bonfire, students will be on top pulling with ropes, while others climb carrying the ties and still others spot on the ground.
A maximum of six students can be on the bonfire structure at one time. This policy represents a change from previous years, when 20 students were allowed to work on the structure at once.
Director of Student Activities Tim Moore, who is chairing the bonfire coordinating committee, said the group still wants students to "show their Dartmouth spirit, but in a safe manner."
While the freshmen do all of the construction, upperclassmen will be present at all times supervising. Amanda Nelson '98 is the head bonfire supervisor.
Prasad said freshmen will work in hour-long shifts all day Thursday and Friday. "We are trying to get as many freshmen as possible involved," he added.
To work on or around the bonfire, freshmen must wear hardhats. Dean of Freshmen Peter Goldsmith said previously that his office would provide hats for those who do not own any.
