In order to accommodate students and alumni with diverse interests, several campus clubs and groups are offering activities as an alternative to the weekend's Greek-sponsored events over Homecoming weekend. Friday night's parade and bonfire will set the stage for these less publicized events, which range in both genre and size.
The weekend's activities are designed to bring the College and its greater community together by creating memories that everyone can appreciate, according to the Collis Center for Student Involvement Director Eric Ramsey.
"Everyone will have their highlight Homecoming is an opportunity to see the breadth and the depth of the Dartmouth community," Ramsey said. "For me, that highlight is simply watching alums and students bond and get to know each other. It's pretty remarkable that someone who graduated many years ago can be standing next to a freshman."
Homecoming weekend promises to be important for the arts at the College, as the Hopkins Center will host both film and a cappella events.
The Subtleties are scheduled to perform Saturday evening at 5 p.m. in the Collis Center, and the Dartmouth Aires will host Fall Fling, an a capella concert traditionally held during Homecoming weekend, in Spaulding Auditorium at 8 p.m.
"It's really going to be a night to experience," David Clossey '16, a member of the Aires, said. "It's such an honor to be able to host Fall Fling during Homecoming weekend and perform on the Spaulding stage."
The Dartmouth Film Society's fall series, "The Return," will feature "Sanjuro" (1962), a revolutionary film in the samurai genre, and "A Woman of Paris" (1923), widely considered one of Charlie Chaplin's best works, on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The Hopkins Center will host 1 p.m. showings of "Otello," a four-act play by Giuseppe Verdi based on Shakespeare's "Othello," on Saturday and Sunday. Director Ricki Stern '87 will present her new film "Knuckleball" (2012), a documentary about baseball's most mysterious pitch, on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
Other campus groups, such as the Dartmouth Asian Pacific Alumni Association, are organizing open events for students and alumni returning to campus for the Homecoming festivities. The association will host a Homecoming mixer at Everything But Anchovies Saturday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Despite the many activities taking place over Homecoming weekend, many freshmen do not know exactly what will occur.
"To be honest, I don't really know what to expect in terms of activities besides the bonfire, but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing and talking to alums on campus," Bobby Muttilainen '16 said.
For some members of the Class of 2016, the unknown element of the weekend is exciting and intriguing, Katie McEachern '16 said.
"Homecoming has a big reputation, so I'm curious to see how the couple days pan out," she said.
Ramsey said that many events "just happen," and the community should be on the lookout for posters in Collis and around Novack Cafe to learn more about what the weekend has in store.
While the Homecoming bonfire will literally and figuratively be the center of the action on Friday night, Programming Board will also serve hot cider and doughnuts and play music in Collis Common Ground during the event. Programming Board Director Chelsea Mandel '15 said that the event is a Dartmouth tradition and will hopefully be a convenient and welcoming place for those taking a break from the fire.
"Last year, when I was a freshman, my friends finished running around the fire before I did, so we all met up at the cider and doughnuts serving place to reconvene," Mandel said.
Although the cider and doughnuts tradition will continue this year, Programming Board is scaling down its program for the weekend and canceling last year's well-received massage and smoothie bar event.
"That's too bad," Will Baird '15 said. "I didn't actually go last year, but I heard people liked it."
