Many people think Dartmouth's remote location precludes any sort of active social life, yet a wide range of social options are thriving in this sleepy New England town.
You'll probably spend your first few weekend nights wandering around with herds of other first-year students, feeling clueless and looking for things to do. But do not fear -- there are innumerable social options at Dartmouth.
Although other outlets exist, Greek life is a dominant part of Dartmouth's social culture. About 60 percent of male students at Dartmouth join a fraternity during their sophomore and junior years, and about 40 percent of females join sororities.
Webster Ave., better known as Frat Row, is usually crowded with party-goers on weekends, and much to the chagrin of the administration, many of these shin-digs do have the tendency to resemble "Animal House" -- a 1960s movie based on Dartmouth's Alpha Delta fraternity.
But freshman, be warned -- during the fall, these parties are closed to first-year students. In addition, with the new alcohol policy in place, Safety and Security officers will be monitoring the parties to make sure no under-age partiers enter the fraternity houses.
The four big party weekends at the College are Homecoming in the fall, Winter Carnival in the winter, Green Key in the spring and Tubestock in the summer. For each weekend there are specific Dartmouth activities and traditions.
Homecoming weekend begins with "Dartmouth Night" on Friday evening. The "freshman sweep" is the coming together of all first-year students, which begins in two separate places and ends up as a part of the town parade.
The large wooden bonfire built at the center of the Green by freshmen, is ignited and the first-year students then run around it as many times as the number their class year designates.
Students must be forewarned the bonfire has the tendency to get extremely hot. A few students who have run too close to the flames have been seriously burned.
Winter Carnival is traditionally the celebration of winter sports but has in recent years become just one more party weekend. It is famous for the student-built snow sculpture out on the center of the Green.
Green Key Weekend is Dartmouth's celebration of the coming of spring. After a long, Hanover winter, students are ready to celebrate the ending of the snow season and the changing of colors from white to green.
Tubestock is traditionally a weekend for sophomores during "sophomore summer." Members of the sophomore class all rent inner tubes and tube down the Connecticut River in a class bonding celebration of summer.
If traditional college partying is not your style, the Hopkins Center for the Performing Arts, offers many movies, shows and plays for everyone.
Dartmouth Film Society sponsors a series of films, both recently released and classic favorites. For the price of two movie tickets, you can watch an entire term's worth of films.
Each series has a running theme each term. Past themes included "Shattering the Glass Ceiling," movies about women who have broken societal boundaries, and "Dynamic Duos" about famous couples in film.
In addition, the Programming Board often hosts concerts and student activities. This summer, the Programming Board is organizing a trip to Lilith Fair in Mansfield, Ma. and to the Big Apple Circus as part of their summer activities.
Last year, such performers as the Indigo Girls, Steve Miller Band, Wyclef Jean and Violent Femmes performed at the College as part of the Programming Board's events.
During the spring, the Programming Board also sponsors the popular Dartmouth Up All Night at the Collis Student Center, which hosts a myriad of activities, such as a capella concerts, free movie-showings and karaoke.
In the warmer months, students hang out by the Connecticut River, hike, play ultimate frisbee on the Green or just bask in the sunshine.
During the colder months, skiing, sledding, ice skating and working on the ice sculpture bring shivering undergraduates together.
So new members of the Dartmouth community, keep in mind that despite the seclusion of the small town, the trees, and the mountains, the College itself offer a full social calendar.
As most Dartmouth studends will tell you, social life at college is only what you want to make of it.
Dartmouth has plenty of social outletsand night-life, it's just a matter of getting out there and finding them.
You'll never be bored, unless you choose to be.
