Although Dartmouth's alumni truly do roam the girdled earth, Hanover's spell draws former students back to the College on the Hill for big weekends.
Alumni return to Hanover for Winter Carnival to rejoin the Dartmouth community for the weekend and enjoy the winter celebrations, according to alumni interviewed by The Dartmouth.
The Office of Alumni Relations does not track the number of alumni who return to campus for Carnival weekend but expects the weekend to be popular with alumni, as well as locals and students from other colleges in the region, Patricia Fisher, director of class activities and alumni relations, said.
The Office of Alumni Relations plans its annual Club and Affiliated Group Officers Weekend to coincide with the Carnival festivities, according to Fisher.
Between 150 and 200 alumni representing 85 regional, identity, career and related interest groups will participate in the conference, she said.
Running parallel to Carnival activities from Friday to Sunday, the conference gives club officers the opportunity to network with each other as well as learn new skills for managing club activities, according to the Office of Alumni Relations website.
Last year the Hanover Inn's 93 rooms were fully booked for Winter Carnival weekend, which general manager Tom List said signaled many alumni would return for the weekend.
He estimated approximately 90 percent of those staying in the hotel last Winter Carnival were alumni.
Since the Hanover Inn is closed for renovations this year, Six South Street will play host to many alumni, according to Don Bruce, Six South Street's general manager.
Of the hotel's 69 rooms, 39 are reserved for alumni affiliated with the Club and Affiliated Group Officers Weekend, and he said he assumed that the rest of the reservations were Carnival-related.
Ken Klemm '86, president of the Dartmouth Club of the Gulf Coast, said he is excited to catch up with old friends and take part in Carnival traditions over the weekend.
"I was going to do the Polar Bear [Swim], but then I reconsidered," he said.
Klemm reminisced about the ice sculptures of years past and said he used to stay up all night with his friends to make a sculpture in front of their dorm.
He said he hopes he won't be disappointed with the ice sculpture this year. "If it's a really big cupcake, I'm okay with that," he said.
On a more serious note, Klemm said he appreciates the connection he feels to the Dartmouth community through traditions like Winter Carnival. "Being from New Orleans, it is kind of unique," he said. "We saw first-hand what bringing people together does. With Katrina we really had to help each other come back. People connected so I feel a sense of community whether I'm up in Hanover or down in Louisiana." Meg Sommerfeld '90 said while her family is looking forward to ice skating on Occom Pond and skiing, she is most eager to reconnect with old friends from her college years and new friends she has met volunteering as a club officer. "Your connection to the Dartmouth family only continues to grow after you graduate," she said.
Although Fisher said the only event specifically planned for alumni that is not associated with club officer training is a trivia night run by the Hill Winds Society, alumni participate in other Carnival festivities, including viewing the ice sculptures, attending parties and watching a hockey game.
Club officers can also enjoy Winter Carnival activities in their spare time, she said.
Sommerfeld said she returns to campus because she feels a strong connection to the College.
"Dartmouth has such a strong alumni network and we love Dartmouth, so we just love to come back," she said. "It feels like coming home and seeing your old stomping grounds."
