The jury is in, and the verdict? Dartmouth Up All Night is a bona fide success. Last Friday, the slumber party-like affair held in the Collis Student Center attracted large numbers of Dartmouth students with a bevy of activities and events.
The success of the event may be viewed as a step away from traditional fraternity entertainment, and a movement to more diverse and creative activities for students.
Almost every room in Collis was put to optimal use beginning at 9:00 p.m. Friday night to 7:00 a.m. the next day.
In the Collis Cafe, singing groups like the Decibelles, Final Cut, and the Dodecs crooned the night away. "The Dating Game" and Asian games like Mahjong occupied the audience between a capella performances.
Downstairs in Collis, the Lone Pine Tavern featured Karaoke and the Game Room hosted a Pool Tournament.
Upstairs in the Collis Common Ground, "Sheba," "Fusion" and "Steppin' Out" put on their dancing shoes in front of packed crowds.
Following regular Common Ground staple, Friday Night Dance Club, popular music group "Groove Merchant" took charge of the stage.
Old movie faves such as "Goonies," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "E.T." and "The Breakfast Club" were screened in the meeting rooms on the second floor. "Top Gun," the night's "Big Screen Feature," was shown in the Common Ground.
For a change of pace, the Stonefence Review sponsored a poetry reading.
At 5:30 a.m., free breakfast was served to any remaining revelers.
With the exception of some technical difficulties with the sound system in the Common Ground, all went smoothly.
Organizations decided to participate for a number of reasons. Sara Becker '00 of Steppin' Out explained, "Personally we felt that the night would be a wonderful publicity opportunity and we thought that the idea of bringing so many groups together under one roof was simply fantastic!"
Students like Thaddeus Law '99 liked the fact that Dartmouth Up All Night provided another option for weekend relaxation.
The evening was the brainchild of about 40 leaders from different student organizations and Greek houses who attended a leadership conference organized by Nahoko Kwakyu '99 and Case Dorkey '99 Fall term.
When it came time to apply for the Class of '51 award, the group, led by Dorkey, came up with the proposal, "Dartmouth Up All Night."
Kwakyu, DUAN co-chair along with Dave Altman '99 said, "The idea was really a dream come true and in the end it was shown that we can make something big happen if we all help each other out and coordinate our energy."
