For over 50 years, incoming Dartmouth freshmen have started their careers known not as students ready to tackle the world of college academia, but as "trippees" prepared to spend several showerless days in the woods.
As the organizer of Freshman Trips, The Dartmouth Outing Club has the unique opportunity to provide students with their first glimpse of Dartmouth and the surrounding wilderness. But Trips are only the beginning -- the DOC offers more opportunities than the average Dartmouth student will be able to take advantage of in four years.
A rich history
The DOC, the largest student-run organization on campus and the oldest of its kind in the nation, was founded in 1909 by a small group of students who wanted to liven up the snowy winters of New Hampshire.
During its early years, the DOC created Winter Carnival and encouraged skiing and hiking in the White and Green Mountains which surround the College.
Today, the DOC boasts an undergraduate membership of about 1,200 people, and it has also expanded into an umbrella organization of 11 affiliate clubs.
DOC President Ben Berk '00 credits the wide range of clubs as the reason why "the DOC, more than any other organization on campus, is where anyone can feel like they have a place."
Berk said one of the main reasons why students are attracted to the DOC is that it provides an excellent opportunity to meet new people, as seen most clearly during Freshman Trips.
The trippee experience
This September, about 1,000 members of the Class of 2002 will travel to Hanover to participate in one of the unforgettable Dartmouth traditions -- the DOC run freshman trips.
When the '02s arrive on campus, an energetic Hanover Crew will greet them with lessons on the Trips essentials such as "ass boxing" and the Salty Dog Rag, a time-honored square-dancing tradition.
At the Bema, Dartmouth's 'big empty meeting area', freshmen will participate in a series of group games and meet their trip leaders, who have been trained in leadership skills and First Aid.
Then freshmen will get a head start on their graduation requirements by taking the 50-yard swim test in Alumni Gymnasium.
After one last night in civilization, students set off into the woods the next morning on trips which include hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, rock climbing and organic farming. Some of the hikers will have the opportunity to participate in a new service-oriented trip this year -- trail working.
DOC Trips Director Amanda Eaken '99 said every year there are some students who pack things inappropriate for three days in the woods.
"No hairdryers, no cell phones, and don't bring Power Books -- it's too early for that," she said.
Finally, after enough cous-cous and Alma Mater singing to last a lifetime, all the trips in the section convene at the College-run Moosilauke Ravine Lodge on Mount Moosilauke, 42 miles northeast of Hanover.
There, the Lodge Crew provides plenty of good food and "crazy" entertainment, the details of which are traditionally kept a secret from incoming freshmen, Eaken said.
Assistant Director of DOC Trips Dana Loebman '00 said that "Everyone involved is so psyched to welcome the new class."
In fact, enthusiasm for the program is particularly high this year with only 50 percent of upperclass trip leader applicants being accepted.
DOC offers many activities
For many Dartmouth students, involvement with the DOC does not end after Freshman Trips.
The DOC clubs include Cabin and Trail, Ledyard Canoe Club, Bait and Bullet, Snowboarding Club, Dartmouth Mountaineering Club, Biathlon Club, Boots and Saddles, Environmental Studies Division,
Winter Sports Club, Ski Patrol and Women in the Wilderness.
In addition to sponsoring hiking trips and competing in forestry meets, Cabin and Trail helps maintain 70 miles of Appalachian Trail, 50 miles of side trails, nine cabins, and nine shelters.
Students can receive discounts on cabin rentals by purchasing a four-year membership to the DOC for $35 dollars or a single year membership for $15 dollars.
Though not run directly through the DOC, the Dartmouth Organic Farm is a great place to try out farming, ask questions, and enjoy a beautiful piece of New Hampshire. Since it's start in 1996, Dartmouth students have made the 5 minute walk out to the farm to learn about agriculture, work in the fields, explore the landscap talk with friends, or jump off the rope swing into the Connecticut river.
River fun
Taking advantage of the College's close proximity to the Connecticut River, The Ledyard Canoe Club offers canoeing and kayaking instruction and houses a student-initiated program in white-water and flat-water competition.
The club also leads all level trips, which range from the annual summer Sophomores from the Source trip to a recent month-long kayaking trip through Vietnam.
Bait and Bullet works to stay active year round with fly fishing, hunting, and ice fishing trips.
Winter wonderland
The Snowboarding Club sponsors frequent trips to local New England mountains and leads clinics at the Dartmouth Skiway.
As the historic foundation of the DOC, the Winter Sports Club continues to promote winter outdoor activities like ski trips and sledding on the hills of the golf course.
Members of the Ski Patrol are certified to monitor the slopes of the Dartmouth Skiway.
Members of the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club can be found rock and ice climbing around Hanover and the Northeast. The DMC offers introductory and advanced instruction, taking advantage of Dartmouth's own indoor climbing gym located in the basement of Maxwell residence hall.
Year-round action
Active year-round, the Biathlon Club holds practice sessions and races at permanent outdoor and indoor ranges. It is the first collegiate biathlon club in the United States.
Boots and Saddles encourages recreational and competitive horseback riding, and it is closely associated with the College equestrian team which is based at the nearby Morton farm.
The Environmental Studies Division works on local, national and international levels to educate and campaign for environmental protection.
Women in the Wilderness is one of the newer additions to the club and was formed to encourage female participation and leadership in all branches of the DOC.
"The most important purpose of the DOC is to give Dartmouth students the opportunity to take a break from their everyday Dartmouth lives," Berk said.
