Going off to college is a means of meeting new people and doing new things. For most students, it comes with being in an entirely new location. But while the average student might be able to easily separate their Dartmouth home from the place he or she grew up, the line isn't so distinct for everyone. Dartmouth students often forget that Hanover, N.H. is not only the place that we chose to go off to college it's also the place that nearly 9,000 people outside of the campus call home.
For the graduates of Hanover High School who end up at Dartmouth, the transition between high school and college is not nearly as dramatic as it is for those of us from other parts of the country. So where and how exactly do such students define their homes once they find themselves settled in a dorm that is no more than a few miles from where they grew up? Has Dartmouth also always been home to them, or do they too have to grow to love it?
Although he only matriculated this past September, Jack Brown '15 moved to Hanover at the age of four. His interactions with the Dartmouth community began in elementary school, when college students would volunteer as his classroom assistants, and his sports teams would practice at the College's facilities.
But other than the occasional sharing of resources, most students who grew up in Hanover did not really consider Dartmouth's role in their childhoods significant.
"I never felt extraordinarily connected to the College," Rob Collier '13, who lives a few miles away from campus in the town of Etna, N.H., said. "I would go to some of the bonfires, but I never understood the sense of tradition that went along with it. I would watch hockey games, but never felt the ownership for the team that I do now."
While their direct interactions with Dartmouth may have been minimal, those who grew up in town agreed that the Upper Valley community is very aware of the College's presence, namely its strong academic reputation and competitive acceptance rates.
"It's the only thing here," Andrew Spalding '14, who moved to Hanover from New York at the age of 16, said. "Of course everyone knows about it."
When first applying to college, many of these Hanover students did not want to stay in their hometowns.
"That was really my only qualm," Sasha Kahan '15 said. "I loved absolutely everything about it except for the fact that it was in Hanover, N.H."
She added, however, that she had a change of heart after talking to current Dartmouth students also from Hanover.
"They all said that it wasn't like they were still living at home at all," she said. "It was different than what they had expected."
Brown was also extremely hesitant about staying so close to home and felt the need to take a gap year from Hanover to travel abroad before enrolling at Dartmouth.
"By the time I came back, I was so ready to go to school," he said. "I was so much more excited about it than I had been."
Spalding did not apply to Dartmouth his senior year of high school, instead choosing to attend the University of Richmond for his first year of college. He transferred after his freshman year, however, and after his first term as a Dartmouth student, he said that his perspective has drastically changed.
"I never really felt a strong connection to Hanover before I went to Dartmouth," he said. "Before college, I would've said that my hometown was where I grew up in New York. Now I'd say that Dartmouth is more my home."
Collier said he has experienced a lot of blending between his two communities.
"They are separate to a degree," he said. "But I also have a lot of my friends from [Dartmouth] come up to Etna for Thanksgiving or to play pond hockey. I celebrate my birthday with my family, but with Dartmouth friends too."
He added that Dartmouth has also grown to represent a very special place for him.
"In a lot of ways, [Dartmouth] is every bit as much my home as the home I grew up in," he said.
Others, however, do not feel this same sense of loyalty to their new accommodations.
Joe Carey '15 admitted that although he does feel more attached to Hanover since choosing to attend Dartmouth, he still feels that his real home is the house he grew up in.
"My concept of home is still where my family lives," he said.
Despite not moving very far from their hometowns for college, most students interviewed were excited about the opportunity to see more of the world after graduation and do not envision themselves staying in the Upper Valley for an extended period of time.
"I might end up back in the area when I'm much older," Kahan said. "For now, I have plans to live in other places and experience other things."
Until then, these Hanover natives are enjoying the time they have left in the area and at Dartmouth.
"I was trying to find a Dartmouth further away from home," Collier said. "I tried to fight it, but I'm incredibly happy that I ended up here. I remember sitting in Dimensions and hearing this song that was perfect for how I felt. The words were, You can't escape Dartmouth.'"
And really, why would you ever want to?
