"I thought [Laskaris] was going to give a speech," Arakelian said. "And then I was really confused as to why there was music playing."
The Dimensions of Dartmouth program, which lasted Thursday through Saturday, was designed to provide prospective students with an idea of Dartmouth life, according to Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, Sarah Damerville. Among the weekend's hundreds of events were a first-generation college student dinner reception, a reception for parents entitled, "Supporting Dartmouth Parents for Student Success" and a speech by College President Jim Yong Kim on Saturday morning.
Each year, the Dimensions program presents a student singing and dancing performance. Members of the freshman class, disguised as prospective students, mingle with the actual "prospies," only to reveal their real identities at the production.
While Arakelian and many of her peers were shocked to discover that several of their new friends were members of the Class of 2013, others had seen images of the show from previous years and were unsurprised.
"They posted the past Dimensions show on YouTube," prospective student Michael Chu said.
The show was coordinated and directed by Chris Whitehead '12 and Claire Monagan '12, and students involved in the production dedicated between 10 and 12 hours a week to rehearsal, Monagan said.
"We consciously pick people who we know are going to be committed," Monagan said. "The dedication they've put in showed in the most recent group rehearsals. They've been working on their stuff hard."
The performance strives to reflect the overall environment of the College, according to Whitehead.
"It just shows the kind of atmosphere we like to create at Dartmouth," he said. "The Dimensions show in my mind says a lot about who we are and what we like to do."
One of the production's goals was to impart a lasting impression on the prospective students and to influence their upcoming college decision, according to Whitehead.
"I hope prospies, when they're driving around with their friends and they have to make the [college] decision, and a song comes up on the radio that we did, [that] they'll think of Dartmouth," he said.
The quirky, enthusiastic nature of the show either convinces prospective students to commit to the College or demonstrates that Dartmouth might not be the best fit, Monagan said.
"[Prospective students] don't see as much passion from a lot of other schools," she said.
Arakelian said the Dimensions show swayed her decision toward Dartmouth.
"Dimensions sold me on the school immediately," she said. "The first day was a little shaky and I was still considering other schools, but definitely on Friday I was sold." Although the Dimensions show was "overall fantastic," it also occurred when the prospective students were already exhausted from the day's activities, Chu said.
"On the con side, it was sort of an overkill," he said. "Dimensions was filled with events, so we were sort of fatigued."
The organizers could increase the performance's effectiveness by shortening the show, Chu said.
Before the show, Suril Kantaria '13 told prospective students he was Ajit Pandey, an actor in the Oscar-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire."
"I have a few offers from other London-based directors, or I could pursue a career in Bollywood," Kantaria told The Dartmouth, claiming to be a prospective student. "I just want a back-up in case I don't become really famous."
While Kantaria convinced some prospective and current students, not everyone fell for his act.
"I did know the kid wasn't from Slumdog Millionaire,'" Arakelian said. "I had kind of asked around, and people told me there was no one here from Slumdog Millionaire.'"
Inspired by the stunt, some prospies said they plan to apply for the Dimensions team next Spring.
"I think I want to be a part of [Dimensions] next year," Kevin Wang, a prospective student, said. "I think it's really cool that [the freshmen] infiltrated us."
At his speech as part of Dimensions weekend, Kim discussed his own reasons for coming to Dartmouth and his experience at the College so far, according to the Dimensions schedule. Kim also emphasized the College's unique character and its focus on undergraduate teaching, prospective student Lindsay Eysenbach said. A question-and-answer session followed the event.
"He was very eloquent he just had a lot of meaning behind his speech," Arakelian said. "You felt like everyone had a place a Dartmouth."
Other dimensions activities included academic department open hours, Baker-Berry library tours, an activities fair and an LGBT mixer. Many campus organizations, clubs and athletic teams also held open houses.
Monahan is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
