Approximately a dozen students have been caught swimming in the Connecticut River after hours and served with judicial action by the College so far this summer, according to College Proctor Safety and Security Director Harry Kinne.
Even before the new swim docks were constructed, Safety and Security monitored the river front for several years, keeping an eye out for people swimming after dark, which Dartmouth prohibits due to safety concerns, according to Kinne.
After 7 p.m., there is no longer a lifeguard on duty and students are prohibited from accessing the river from College property.
One male member of the Class of 2013 who wished to remain anonymous due to an ongoing Committee on Standards proceeding was caught swimming after hours approximately two weeks ago and later faced a judicial affairs proceeding. The student said it was the first time he had been swimming at the dock after hours.
"It was fun and it was hot," he said. "It was an impulsive decision I think."
The student said he and his friend were approached by Safety and Security officers on their way back to campus from the river. The officers told him and his friend that their actions were a violation of College policy as indicated by clearly marked signs. The officers then took the students' information and wrote up a report that was sent to Judicial Affairs, the student said.
A few days after the incident, the student was contacted by Judicial Affairs and asked to attend a meeting with Director of Judicial Affairs Nathan Miller regarding the violation.
Although the student said he has not yet heard what the consequences will be, he was told by Miller that he would likely face something between a warning and a reprimand.
The student said he felt he was treated "very reasonably" by The College.
"The [Safety and Security] officers were polite and just looking out for our safety and I thought the conversation I had with Nathan Miller was very fair and just," he said.
The student said he would not go swimming after hours at the dock again following the incident.
"I just don't see it as worth it now," he said. "It would be nice if we could go and cool off after dark but I don't really think it's worth risking probation just because you're hot and want to cool off."
The prohibition on swimming after dark has been in place "for a long time," according to Kinne.
In 2005, Valentin Valkov, a 21-year-old Tuck Bridge participant, drowned early in the morning while attempting to complete the "Ledyard Challenge" in the Connecticut River, The Dartmouth previously reported. Kinne cited this incident as an important reason for prohibiting swimming after dark.
"We've had a tragedy down there and that's certainly something we want to take steps to avoid," he said.
The rule against swimming after dark had been in place prior to Valkov's death.
Kinne said that swimming after dark is dangerous and that rescues, if necessary, are much more difficult at night than during daylight hours.
Another male member of the Class of 2013 who was caught by Safety and Security after swimming in the river said that he and his friends had already gotten out of the water by the time the officers arrived, so the officers decided to only issue warnings and not write a report.
The student said he is "very confident in his swimming abilities" so he was not concerned about the safety hazards of nighttime swimming, although he would not "necessarily encourage other people to do it or necessarily dissuade them from doing it."
"I understand what the College is doing and why we can't swim after hours," he said. "It's for very legitimate reasons."
A female member of the Class of 2013 who accompanied the student said that she would most likely swim in the river after hours again if the opportunity arose. She added that the Safety and Security officers with whom she spoke were "very polite" and understanding.
The male student agreed that, despite the encounter with Safety and Security, he would consider swimming after hours again "if the desire ever comes on strong enough."
He recommended swimming with a group of people, rather than alone, if one is to swim after hours.
"I feel like after-hours swimming is something every Dartmouth student should do at least once," he said. "I don't know why. It's just a completely different experience swimming when you can't see anything."
The student said that as he left the swimming docks after speaking with the officers, he saw three Safety and Security cars patrolling the docks. As he approached campus, he warned a large group of students on their way down to the docks against swimming.
The student said that he realized retrospectively the risks associated with swimming in the dark.
"Thinking back on it, it doesn't sound like all that intelligent of an idea, swimming when you can't see anything," he said.
