While students revel in the parties and sunshine over Green Key weekend, alumni return to campus to reunite with old friends and enjoy events planned both for current students and for alumni themselves. Greek houses and the Hill Winds Society are hosting a variety of events including brunches, games, receptions and a golf tournament to welcome alumni back to campus.
"I always thought it was the best of the big three weekends," Bruce Reeves '80 said. "It was always outdoors and a phenomenal time."
Fraternities and sororities are also awaiting the arrival of former members to campus and their houses.
Brittney Frankel '12, Delta Delta Delta sorority's alumni relations chair, said that Green Key usually draws larger crowds of alumni than the College's other big weekends.
In order to welcome alumnae back to campus, Tri-Delt is hosting a brunch for current and former members at the sorority's physical plant on Saturday, Frankel said.
"To my understanding, we can expect around 30 people to come," Frankel said. "The class that just graduated last year has the best showing so we'll probably see a lot of '10s."
Sigma Delta sorority will also host an alumnae brunch during the weekend, according to alumni chair Elizabeth Trandel '12.
The Brovertones a capella group will perform at 6:45 p.m. at the Top of the Hop on Friday in a special show for alumni, according to Brovertones business manager Sean Derrow '13.
The Hill Winds Society a group of current students who act as ambassadors to the College's alumni has also organized events for alumni throughout the weekend, including an Alumni Council reception on Friday and a golf tournament and dinner on Saturday, according to Hill Winds member Anoush Arakelian '14.
The golf tournament will provide students the opportunity to "play alongside alumni" and will allow current and former students to connect, Hill Winds member Justin Varilek '11, who is organizing the outdoor events, said in an email to The Dartmouth.
In addition to the annual tournament, Hill Winds is organizing two new events on Saturday a hike up Balch Hill and games on Gilman Island to "cater to a larger swath of the alumni and student base," Varilek said.
The hike up Balch Hill will include a picnic, facilitated discussion and possibly kite flying. On Gilman Island, students and alumni will be paired based on their interests and will compete in a series of games, including horseshoes, frisbee golf, bag toss, Swedish golf and badminton, according to Varilek.
The dinner on Saturday night will be open to all students and alumni who participated in the three events, Varilek said.
"We are hoping to capitalize off of the Alumni Council meeting and the surge of alumni that will be visiting for Green Key," he said.
The Office of Alumni Relations does not offer programming during Greek Key, according to Diana Lawrence, director of communications for Alumni Relations.
The Alumni Council a group of 120 alumni who represent a diverse array of Dartmouth graduates will also be represented on campus throughout the weekend. Simon Trabelsi '08, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and of the Alumni Council, said that "between Alumni Council and alumni who are just there for fun," he anticipates about 200 alumni to be on campus for Green Key.
"Alumni Council meetings often fall on the big weekends, so it's not unusual for me to be back," Trabelsi said.
Trabelsi said he plans to attend a variety of events during the big weekend, including those geared toward students. He said his favorite student event is the Alpha Phi Alpha Step Show on Saturday night, a student-organized performance Trabelsi helped plan when he was a student, he said.
"[Alumni] are certainly welcome at all events, and are in attendance each year," said Charles Bay '11, alumni chair of Alpha Phi Alpha.
Most alumni who attend student events and parties are recent graduates, according to Trabelsi.
Trabelsi said that based on the Green Key weekends he has attended, the events and the spirit of the weekend seem to be moving in a positive direction.
"It seems like they're starting to do more for Green Key, bringing in more performers and having more parties," Trabelsi said. "I think it's only getting better and I expect to keep coming."
However, not all alumni are free to attend the weekend.
"I wanted to come up, but I was banned by my '14 son and it didn't really fit with my schedule," Reeves explained. "I came up for Homecoming and Winter Carnival though."
Other alumni did not consider coming back for the festivities. An alumna who wished to remain anonymous laughed and said she was too old for Green Key when asked if she would attend.
