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The Dartmouth
March 29, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

College opens renovated swim dock to mixed reviews

Orientation.News.Dock
Orientation.News.Dock

"I think the College heard students and heard students' voices loud and clear and really wanted to make the docks possible," she said. "We get to keep all the fun things about Dartmouth if we treat them well and if we respect them."

The new dock was officially closed to students on Aug. 26 due to the impending threat of heavy rain and high winds from Hurricane Irene, according to Thompson.

While many students interviewed by The Dartmouth said they appreciated the return of the time-honored tradition, others criticized the way in which the new, larger dock was installed.

Sandi Caalim '13, a member of the Dartmouth women's rugby team, said she enjoyed using the dock to cool off after practices, but that she was not entirely pleased with the set-up of the new swim area.

"I think [the docks] were awesome, but it just kind of sucked that the rectangular swim area was kind of small," she said.

Despite the administration's efforts to regulate swimming by relocating the dock to a safer location, some students continued to use other areas of the river to swim, according to several students interviewed by The Dartmouth.

Swimming in the river was "one of the best parts" of sophomore Summer but some students did not fully utilize the newly opened dock due to its more remote location, Tom Wang '13 said.

"I just used the Ledyard dock," Wang said. "I was in it more for swimming around, and the [new] dock they had set up had that stupid little enclosure."

Prior to Hurricane Irene's arrival on Aug. 26, the College removed the docks from the river for safety, Thompson said. During a typical summer, though, they will remain in use until the end of the term, she said.

Because the water in the Connecticut River is typically very cold, administrators will be careful not to install the dock too early in the season or to keep it in the water for too long, Thompson said. The dock will likely not reopen until Summer 2012, according to Thompson.

"That's historically been the cycle, so I anticipate they'll be back in the water on the same schedule," Thompson said.

General construction on the dock concluded before it opened in July, but there has been ongoing landscaping and on-site maintenance work ever since, Thompson said.

The President's Office initially provided $200,000 for the construction costs. While construction generally adhered to the original budget, the final figures will likely be slightly higher than initially anticipated, according to Joanna Whitcomb, director of planning for the Office of Planning, Design and Construction. The final figures will not be available until later this month, she said.

"We haven't closed out the project," Whitcomb said, explaining that the construction team also plans to build a kiosk at the site of the docks that will serve as a shelter from the sun.

The President's Office plans to finance additional expenses incurred by running over budget, Whitcomb said.

Over the summer, the docks closed at 7 p.m. each evening, after which time students found swimming could be issued citations for misconduct. The number of students caught for swimming after hours was "regular for the Summer term," Thompson said.

"I don't think we saw any more than would be typical," she said. "Nothing stood out this summer."

Students swimming after hours who are found by a Safety and Security officer are typically issued a warning after meeting with the Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Office, Thompson said.

"We really try to give the sanction that's really appropriate for the behavior," she said. "What we want is for students to understand the risks."

Students initially expressed some frustration that they were required to present their Dartmouth ID cards in order to use the new dock, a rule instituted as an additional means of ensuring safety, Whitcomb said.

"I think there was initially some pushback, but I think once you forgot your ID once, you always remember it," she said. "At least that's what the lifeguard said."

The dock has incited controversy in the past, as the administrators' decision to close the docks indefinitely in June 2010 citing safety concerns including the rapid change in river depth, poor visibility and an unpredictable current was criticized and protested by members of the Class of 2012.

Jay Kraska '12 said he saw the new dock while visiting campus in August and was disappointed by the small, contained space.

"The current docks aren't something so great that the [members of the Class of 2012] feel left out," Kraska said. "I'd say it was ultimately a waste of money just to allow Dartmouth to keep her hands clear of liability."