In the movie "Animal House," a film partly based on the Alpha Delta fraternity experience of co-author Chris Miller '63, a high school girl attends a Faber College party and winds up drunk and naked outside the Dean's door.
During Green Key Weekend, do Hanover High School parents attempt to prevent a similar scenario from unfolding with their own children who might attempt to sneak into parties at the College upon which the movie was based?
According to College professors Kent Dahlberg and Steve Venti as well as several Dartmouth students who attended Hanover High, the answer is no.
Dahlberg said his two high-school-aged children, "don't have a real fascination with campus and things that are going on here."
Venti echoed the sentiment, saying as a parent he does not regard the spring party weekend differently from any other.
In a town as small and quiet as Hanover, some might find it difficult to believe enterprising high school students do not go to the Dartmouth campus and attempt to sneak into parties. But even former students agree with the current high school parents that Green Key is not a big draw.
"I knew of Green Key, but I didn't know what it was until I got here," said Emily Schaller '02, who is from Norwich, Vt.
Emilia Peraza '02 of Hanover said she never went to Green Key events either.
"Some friends of mine definitely came," she said. "And not only at Green Key, but [they] went to frats a lot."
While Peraza said Green Key was not the only time when friends sneaked into Dartmouth parties, she said, "I know the party outside AD [during Green Key] was always notorious for looking like fun."
A fellow graduate of Peraza's at Hanover High, Jakob von Moltke '02, also cited the AD party as one of the only daytime events that attracted his attention.
"I know some people who went to fraternity parties," he said. "I did. It was one of the few weekends we knew anything was going on."
Cullen Knights '02, who attended Hanover High School and lived in Lyme, said, "I went with a friend my senior year. I guess there have always been kids who found a way."
Hanover High graduate Sarah Donahue '02 said she never went to fraternity parties.
"The only stuff that I knew really was from my brother," Donahue said, referring to Stephen Donahue '99. "He was discouraging of having Hanover High kids at parties.
For von Moltke and Knights, Green Key was the time when they came to campus for parties."
"We knew we could find a party," von Moltke said. "We just went as a group of friends and walked down frat row."
Von Moltke said his group had little trouble when entering fraternities.
"It depends on the house," von Moltke said. "Some were easier than others."
Von Motlke said showing a drivers' license to the fraternity member standing outside the door was enough to gain admittance. Von Moltke said one of his friends who knew a Dartmouth student would borrow the student's College ID card.
Knights said he only went to fraternity parties with Dartmouth students. He said he did not participate in pong - a time-honored school tradition - but that he had a good time nonetheless.
"I'm here now," Knights said.
Von Moltke also said he didn't like to stand around and drink.
"The dance parties were the most fun," he said. "The other stuff wasn't so great since we didn't know anybody."
But many of the former Hanover High students felt those who came for Green Key also came at other times as well.
They said those who partied with Dartmouth students during Green Key were likely to be there more than once a year.
