This year's Homecoming will continue traditions established 103 years ago. The weekend attracts many alumni who return to celebrate their memories and the spirit of the College.
College President William Jewett Tucker started the original Dartmouth Night to "promote class spirit and initiate freshmen into the community."
The weekend starts tonight with a myriad of events. The town, in conjunction with the College, will host a parade featuring marching bands from five towns, including the Hanover High marching band.
Alumni, town officials, and College administrators will all march in the parade, which will circle the Green and end in front of Dartmouth Hall.
At the same time, the Class of 2002 will begin the Freshman Sweep, which is planned to start in the River cluster and travel around the campus. When the sweep reaches the Green, the festivities will begin.
This year's Dartmouth night will include speeches by College President James Wright, Alumni Association President James Cooke '57, Jonathan Gibbs '99, co-cap tain of the football team, and Robin O'Sullivan '99, co-captain of the Track team.
After the speeches, the marching band will play, and the Glee Club will sing the alma mater. The tradition of singing was established the second year of Dartmouth Night when "Men of Dartmouth," written by Richard Hovey '85, became the official college song.
When the alma mater is finished, the bonfire will be ignited, and freshmen will start frantically circuiting the flames. Since the freshman class's graduating year is 2002, tradition dictates they run around the bonfire 102 times, one circle for each year. This tradition began in 1914 when Winston Churchill was visiting the college.
After the bonfire students will disperse to partake in a variety of events on campus. In addition to the omni-present fraternity and sorority parties being thrown this weekend, the Collis Center is hosting a dance Friday night.
On Saturday morning a breakfast will be held for all alumni in the Thayer great hall, followed by a brunch for alumni in Leverone Fieldhouse before the football game.
The football game will kick off at noon. Tickets are still available from the Ticket Office.
After the game there will be a tent in front of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority for the classes of '72 to '88 and a tent in front of Alumni gym for the classes of '89 to '98. Refreshments will be served.
Saturday night's festivities include a masquerade ball in the Collis center sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
