With expectations of warm weather and two of the College's big weekends under their belt, freshmen interviewed by The Dartmouth said they were looking forward to Green Key, which many anticipated would be the "best weekend" of the year. Although the history and purpose of the weekend remain unclear to most students, freshmen said they are nonetheless excited about lounging in the sun and attending outdoor parties over Green Key.
"[The College] probably just needs a big weekend for every term," Laura Moriarty '14 said. "I honestly don't know much about it just that there's a lot of barbecues and day drinking."
Freshmen said they have heard upperclassmen rave about the laid-back atmosphere and pleasant weather over Green Key weekend.
"I've heard that it's really fun and that [the College] closes down frat row for everyone to just hang out," Moriarty said.
Deborah Yeoh-Wang '14 said she was most excited for the weekend break from classes and stress.
"I'm excited to go to the concerts and just hang out with my friends," she said. "With midterms and work, a lot of us have been really busy and Green Key should be a good time to catch up with everyone."
Most freshmen said they did not know exactly what to expect from the weekend.
"I've heard that it's one of the best weekends of the year if the weather is nice," Preston Suan '14 said, adding that he was "honestly not sure what to be excited for."
Rob Brett '14 said that warmer weather would help make Green Key a more enjoyable weekend than other big weekends that take place in colder months.
"Homecoming and Winter Carnival were both really fun, but being able to hang out outside is just more fun than running from basement to basement through the cold," he said.
Although student expectations of Green Key were unanimously positive, student reactions to the announced concert were mixed. Hip-hop artists Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique and Big K.R.I.T. will headline a concert on Saturday as part of Programming Board's first official Green Key concert, according to Programming Board president Meg McCue '11.
Some students expressed disappointment that Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique are not as well known as the headliners at many other colleges' spring weekend events.
Cornell University hosted Nelly and Ra Ra Riot for its annual Slope Day concert, according to the Slope Day Programming Board website. Princeton University's annual Lawnparties, a series of concerts hosted at the university's different eating clubs, included performances by Wiz Khalifa and Chiddy Bang this year, according to The Daily Princetonian. Big K.R.I.T., who will perform at the concert on the Saturday of Green Key, opened for Wiz Khalifa at Princeton.
Students with varying levels of familiarity with Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique's work said they were optimistic about the success of the concert, though some were surprised by the choice to bring two artists to campus whose music may be unfamiliar to students.
Jacob Blair '14 said he was pleased with the selection of rapper Immortal Technique, who attended New York City's Hunter College High School, Blair's alma mater.
"I was definitely surprised because neither of the artists are particularly upbeat," Blair said. "Dartmouth is a privileged institution and Immortal Technique often discusses the problems of the underprivileged. But nevertheless I think it's going to be a really great concert and a really interesting decision that will probably impact students' daily lives."
Suan also said he looks forward to seeing the performance.
"[Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique] are all very talented artists that should definitely put on a good show," Suan said. "They wouldn't be my first choice for Green Key, but I think their performance will be a lot of fun to watch."
Other students commented on the relative obscurity of the selected acts.
"I've heard of [Talib Kweli and Immortal Technique], but I don't know any of their songs very well," Brett said. "I think they should have gotten someone more mainstream and well known whose show would fit better with the party atmosphere of the weekend."
