When the Homecoming bonfire blazes to life on Friday evening, it will illuminate more than the faces of eager freshmen, jeering upperclassmen and nostalgic alumni. Many residents of the Town of Hanover have come to cherish the traditions associated with the weekend as well, according to locals interviewed by The Dartmouth.
For years, townspeople have flocked to the Green to watch the annual bonfire, according to Jordan Morano, a Hanover native. Morano, who recently returned to his hometown after graduating from college, said that the bonfire is a particularly meaninful event for him.
"The bonfire resonates with me," Morano said. "As a kid, I would always go with my family,"
Morano, like many Hanover residents, has strong ties to the College as well. Morano's sister owns the popular Morano Gelato shop on Main Street often frequented by students, while his mother participates in the Homecoming parade as an alumnus of the College's Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies program.
Emily Anderson and Errik Anderson '00, who live in Hanover with their two young children, will be attending the bonfire this year.
"We live in town because it's such a fun community," Emily Anderson said. "Dartmouth is so generous with making everyone feel part of the community."
Some Hanover residents with teenage children said they have concerns about the prevalence of "unbridled parties" and easier access to alcohol for minors during the weekend celebration.
One Hanover resident who wished to remain anonymous said she is wary about attending the bonfire with her teenage daughter.
"When you have a 14 year-old daughter, you don't want her to be exposed to the partying and alcohol experience," she said. "It should be postponed for as long as possible."
To address parents' concerns, the Community Substance Abuse Advisory Council, a local drug and alcohol awareness group, sent out a letter to townspeople advising them to take precautions while still encouraging participation in Homecoming celebrations, according to Director of Safety and Security and College Proctor Harry Kinne, who also serves as the College's representative to the council.
The local group has recommended that parents accompany their children to the bonfire, Kinne said.
"Certainly we do not want people who are in high school on the campus unaccompanied during that weekend," Kinne said. "We don't want them to be in a situation where they might be exposed to parties and alcohol."
Hanover residents said that though they are excited for the weekend, they are also concerned about security at events like the bonfire.
The addition of lights surrounding the perimeter of the bonfire has made a significant difference fo10
Many aspects of the bonfire, including its physical structure and the planned safety precautions, have changed over the years, according to government professor and Hanover resident Linda Fowler.
"There have always been ambulances and campus security and local police, but there's a much stronger [security] presence now," she said. "Part of it is liability, part of it is worry that the first-year students will lose their heads and somebody will get too close to the fire and cause a problem or hurt themselves."
Fowler and her husband, who is a member of the Class of 1965, attend the bonfire every year with their dog, Tosca. They often host a dinner party in their home for members of her husband's class before joining the alumni parade and the lighting of the bonfire, she said.
"People living in Hanover are accustomed to being inconvenienced by College events," Fowler said. "If you don't like it, you shouldn't live in Hanover, as far as I'm concerned."
