Homecoming at the College, traditionally a time for freshmen to come together as a class and celebrate, means many different things to freshmen.
For some, it is a chance to meet others and bond with classmates. For others, it is a chance to exhibit rowdy behavior and attend multiple parties. Many members of the Class of 2002 are still trying to figure out what it's all about.
But if there is one aspect of Homecoming weekend that freshmen know about, it is racing around the bonfire while upperclassmen enclose freshmen around the burning embers.
Jesse Argon '02 said he heard that freshmen last year "ran up and touched the bonfire." Argon said that at Duke in 1994, people ran though bonfires, but said he thinks that since "Dartmouth students are inherently smarter than Duke students," there will not be as many problems.
While restrictions, including a shorter building time, have taken care of many problems that have occurred with the bonfire in the past, freshmen this year are faced with another problem -- how many laps to run around the bonfire.
Emily Lesher '02, who just hiked Mt. Moosilauke, said she plans to run around the bonfire 102 times.
"It depends on how I'm feeling," David Smith '02 said. "I might just go for two."
Melanie Schecter '02 said many of her friends at other schools have heard about the College's Homecoming weekend and are jealous of her Dartmouth Homecoming.
Schecter first contemplated running twice around the bonfire but said, "Twice is not so much. Part of the experience is running around it many times."
Freshmen council committees are working hard to inform their classmates. Members of the Bonfire Committee, the Activities Committee and the Communications Committee have been working since last Tuesday to coordinate this year's freshman events.
Christine Kim '99, intern to the First-Year Office, said the Bonfire Committee is in charge of rallying the freshmen and blitzing them information, while the Activities Committee will handle the freshman sweep.
Kim said the sweep will begin in the River Cluster, pick up freshmen from the Mass Row cluster and Gold Coast, then to the Choates, Wheeler, the Fayerweathers, Ripley-Woodward-Smith, the East Wheelock Cluster and finally Topliff and New Hampshire residence halls, before finishing the sweep on Lebanon Street.
Kim said it is "crucial that everyone arrive at the right place at the same time." the Activities Council will inform freshmen of when to leave their dorms and join the sweep. The '02 class officers will lead the sweep.
Co-chair of the Bonfire Committee Torri Miller '02 said freshmen this year built the bonfire from 8 in the morning to about 6 at night on Thursday and today. The Committee has distributed fliers to each dorm with instructions for students in each cluster to come build in a certain time slot, and rules and regulations for the bonfire.
One thing students may witness is freshmen rushing the field during the Yale game.
Since anti-rushing rules went into effect in 1996, a handful of students have been arrested and security enforcement have discouraged most freshman from rushing the field.
Smith said, "I heard about people rushing the field but it sounds entirely uncool to me."
Though some freshmen are not sure what they are going to do for Homecoming weekend, it seems likely that they will try to get into the fraternity parties on campus, or try to hold their own parties.
Many freshmen agree that before classes began it was not hard to get into fraternity parties. However, with the new and stricter guidelines, many have found it more difficult to get into fraternity parties unless they know someone.
However, most freshmen said they are still able to get into fraternity parties without much of a problem. An anonymous male freshman said, "Fraternity guys want girls at their parties."
Some freshmen think that fraternity parties are not the only social option at Dartmouth. Argon said going to the Mountaineering Club or to room parties may be better than going to fraternity parties although he said that "fraternity parties can be really fun."
Lauren Fontein '02 said that although she is looking forward to the bonfire and Fall Fling concert, she still plans to party.
"I'm sure we'll go to the parties. It's like another excuse to party and get drunk," Fontein said.
Kristjan Thorgeirsson '02 said he wants to experience the whole spectrum of Homecoming events and looks forward to the freshman class coming together.
"I'll hopefully be extremely involved in the bonfire and I want to get to a lot of parties," Thorgeirsson said. "I want this to be the best Homecoming ever."
Smith, who said he has already gotten into some fraternity parties on campus, said he hopes to "party like mad."
Miller said "I definitely want to feel spirit of all classes and the 2002 pride that goes on."
"Just seeing the '02 on top of the bonfire will be good for everyone," Miller said.