What ridiculously alternative, slightly grungy, yet effortlessly chill and surprisingly hip social scene am I digging, you ask? And how can you get in on the action? Well, don't meet me down by the Orozco Murals.
I speaketh on behalf of the fraternity, sorority and affinity housing of Dartmouth -- where not even Safety and Security can control artistic expression.
So come take a walk down Webster Avenue with me -- and West Wheelock Street and North Main Street -- to gain a newfound appreciation for the not-so-traditional artwork that Dartmouth has to offer.
Let's start out our walking tour with Sigma Delta sorority and peruse its revamped Sister's Only room, where the walls clearly display exactly how hard life is out there for a pimp, or as the case may be, a Sigma Delt member. With its vibrant graffiti-esque wall art, Sigma Delt has been able to spice up their basement and earn a mad amount of street cred in the process.
"We thought going for a graffiti-theme would let us use a lot of color and brighten up the room without having to take it too seriously," Lauren Miller '09 said. "Also, it was something that was easy for other people in the house to add something to if they wanted, even if they weren't that confident in their artistic abilities,"
Reppin' their 'hood in a style that rivals the airbrushing techniques of Gerald Mendez, Sigma Delt's mural also captures what Miller described as a "little bit of a parody on the definitely non-urban and lack of street cred that is Hanover."
In the same vein, the brothers at Chi Gamma Epsilon fraternity are getting prepared to unveil their own mural this spring, "The Birth of Pong," which is a play on Michelangelo's renowned "The Creation of Adam," as depicted in the Sistine Chapel.
"The original was destroyed six or seven years ago and just never replaced," Brad Hagedorn '10, houseman at Chi Gam, said. "The execs really want to resurrect it and do something creative with the basement."
At The Tabard coed fraternity, members are particularly committed their artistic expression.
"At The Tabard, it is important that members draw murals, pong tables and house art that reflects their own personal sentiments and connections with the house," President Ankush Rustagi '10 said, explaining that The Tabard models its stance on artistic creativity after Gandhi's own approach to change in the world, encouraging members to do both individual projects and projects that involve house participation.
Currently The Tabard is working on a "Creation of The Tabard" mural to repair the damage to the original, which experienced severe water damage a few years ago. Expect to see "The Tabard Cosmic Dancing Space Toad" in some variation, which Rustagi describes as The Tabard's most recognizable artistic trademark.
Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority just finished its own mural this past summer, a beautiful panoramic landscape depicting a Tiger and several complementary tiger lilies. The tiger lily is the house's official flower, and the tiger represents the members' commitment as a sisterhood to loyalty.
"Within the mural there are hidden features as well -- our class year and a Theta heart," artist and mural painter, Kate Schnippering '10 said.
This is only one of Theta's many basement murals, with one wall featuring an Andy Warhol-esque cartoon and another featuring images inspired by the popular children's book, "Where the Wild Things Are."
The sorority has had a long history of table designs inspired by children's books. Some Theta pong tables featuring various scenes from Dr. Seuss books, dating as far back as 1992, were recently found in the basement of a building previously owned by priests. Yes, priests -- perhaps communion wine instead of Keystone?
Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority is another Greek house well-known for its whimsical basement scenes, boasting an elaborate Alice in Wonderland theme and expansive American Flag mural. This past summer, the KDE '10 class remodeled its pub room with a gummy bear, Grateful Dead bear montage spearheaded by Kari Cholnoky '10 and Alex Huestis '10.
And as two-year defending champions of Masters, the women of KDE also have "Who do you play for?" proudly emblazoned on their walls as an expression of their own "rebel yell," used for rallying purposes in intense games of pong.
Mural art is not unique to just sororities and fraternities, however. Cutter Shabazz affinity house captures a more comprehensive scheme with its murals and depiction of the life and assassination of Malcolm X. In the front lobby before entering the lounge to the left, there is a colorful display evocative of The Beatles' famous album cover, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," with various figureheads in the black community depicted, celebrating their contributions throughout history. Painted by artist Florian Jenkins in 1972 with contributions from Dartmouth students, Cutter Shabazz's murals capture not only an important point in American history, but the voices and forms of self-expression of Dartmouth students as well.
While the basements of Sigma Phi Epsilon and Alpha Chi Alpha fraternities are not as mural-rich as some others, both houses' pong tables make up for it.
The men of Sig Ep tout their most artistic table as their "God Table," made by a member of the Class of 2004. According to tradition, every class year paints a table during its sophomore summer. With the '11s celebrating Sig Ep's 100th anniversary, a lot is expected of them by their older members, Sig Ep member Ryan Wilson '09 said.
Wilson is currently putting the finishing touches on the '09s table, and from the sounds of it, the '11s will have a tough act to follow. Wilson will be incorporating vintage favorite video games like Frogger and PacMan into his design.
The men of Alpha Chi maintain a commitment to the religious art tradition that is apparently very common in the Greek scene, with the '10 class' pong table also based on "Creation of Adam." Alpha Chi's tables are traditionally painted during sophomore summer and always use the house colors of black and red, which pair well with new members' "sirens," the red hats worn by new members, every fall. According to Benjy Meigs '10, Alpha Chi plans to "bust it big" and release a new table this spring.
Clearly, the art in fraternity and sorority basements is more than just inebriated graffiti by some no-good hoodlums. One might even say going to frat and sorority basements counts as a religious experience with all the Sistine chapel motifs, though the smell might nip this notion in the bud pretty quickly.
Regardless, it's a pretty dope scene out there for your average Friday night rager looking to sink a few cups, bust a few moves and have a good time. So next time you're out, whip out your culture card and start talking about the ambiance of the frat basement and their commitment to art. Your knowledge of the Sistine Chapel might make people forgive your unredeemable pong saving skills.
