As an impressionable freshman with little knowledge of Dartmouth traditions, I asked a friend what Homecoming typically entails. He oh-so-eloquently described the scene as "a bonfire and a grindfest." At face value, this doesn't seem as exciting as everyone makes it sound, but when I think of the endless raging and dance parties, the hype makes more sense. And what does every weekend of mayhem need? The right playlist!
If you're looking for an anthem for the weekend's festivities, try something like Kanye's "Drunk and Hot Girls," if you're feeling confident, or "Can I Kick It?" by A Tribe Called Quest if you're a 13 boy. Ladies, Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad" is a solid choice, or DJ Khaled's "We Takin' Over" if you're a '13 and you're down to 'schmob.
With the return of alumni to the campus, it's only appropriate that they are ushered in with Mase's "Welcome Back," or perhaps "Pimpin' All Over The World" by Ludacris if we have any bigwigs joining in the fun. Depending on their year, alumni may not find this welcome as generous and thoughtful as it clearly is, so I recommend throwing in something like Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" for good measure.
Freshmen, the bonfire is our responsibility. To maintain the proper mindset in the face of such an important task, I propose playing two songs on loop: "We Built This City" and "Disco Inferno" (whether this is the oldies version or the one by 50 Cent is entirely up to you). Although "WBTC" by Starship, now Jefferson Starship, has the long-term appeal of a Furbie, there is no better building model than a foundation of rock and roll.
From what I've learned in my short time here, weekend antics are generally fueled by a complete lack of personal responsibility. I expect Homecoming to be the same way but to the nth degree. The way I see it, there are two ways to approach any situation: blame it on the boogie or blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol. Homecoming seems like a good chance to experiment with a combination of the two.
A month's worth of cookies from Pavilion says you won't escape this weekend without hearing "Replay," "Party In The U.S.A." and "Whatcha Say" at least a bajillion times. "TiK ToK" by Ke$ha is definitely applicable too, as I expect everyone wakes up on Homecoming mornings feeling like P. Diddy (what does that even mean?) and brushes their teeth with a bottle of Jack. Toothpaste is so last year.
I would probably lose all credibility by adding "I Love College" to this list, but there's not much to lose in that department, so I'll do it. As vapid as it is, Asher Roth got a few superficial things about college right. Plus, you can add to the chorus just by yelling, "I love [something about raging/Dartmouth/Homecoming]!" and hopefully people will respond with, "Ay!"
Expect lots of frats to play electro remixes of Top 40 pop music and mash-ups like "Club Love" with Usher and Taylor Swift.
House DJ David Guetta, who is responsible for "I Gotta Feeling," "When Love Takes Over" and "Sexy Bitch," with the Black Eyed Peas, Kelly Rowland and Akon, respectively, will probably get a lot of play time with so many recent radio hits.
Of course, no dance party would be complete without a little Britney and Lady GaGa. In all honesty, these two baronesses of all things classy kind of disgust me, but I still appreciate the fact that they get people singing and dancing.
It's likely that Good Sam is going to be a busy man this weekend, so the strategic blasting of songs like Akon's "Locked Up" and Amy Whinehouse's "Rehab" is encouraged. And if you need to apologize for booting at an inopportune moment or any other nighttime transgressions, nothing is more direct than Akon's "Sorry, Blame It On Me."
When Monday rolls around and you're nursing your week-in-the-making hangover and trying to remember the missing hours, soothe your tired psyche with some Jack Johnson or Dispatch.
