This year, as for decades, Homecoming will mark the construction of another doomed wooden edifice in the center of the Green. Bright-eyed '17s will conquer their fears, a purported half-marathon and their classmates' respect as they complete the 117 requisite laps around the bonfire. An untold number of alumni will descend upon Hanover, misty-eyed '14s will wield posters proclaiming the freshman class the new "worst class ever," and the following week will herald in the first permitted '17 footsteps behind the doors of Greek houses.
Despite preferred celebration of all things Dartmouth over the course of Homecoming weekend, integral portions of the larger Dartmouth community seem to remain absent. Namely, both the faculty and the Hanover community seem left by the wayside in the weekend's celebrations. Speaking with professors and members of the local community reveals justification for why Dartmouth Night and Homecoming remain celebrations of students and alumni.
Ultimately, it may simply be impractical to develop an all-inclusive Homecoming celebration. Faculty roles at the College are quite disparate, and as a result, differences might produce a cacophony of competing ideas. For music professor Melinda O'Neal, the ideal Homecoming weekend would be anchored by campus-wide musical endeavors.
"If Homecoming were up to me, I'd plan a music festival, construct a very large pavilion on the Green and teach everyone how to sing a work by a Dartmouth composer commissioned for the occasion so we had one in-common musical experience sharing substantial vocal repertoire together," O'Neal said. "But that's just me."
Given the variation in the ideal inclusive Homecoming from one faculty member to another, it makes sense that there is no formal incorporation of faculty.
Even so, passive participation is common among professors and members of the local community. Some, like government professor Michael Herron, who brings his children to the bonfire, take advantage of the novelty of the weekend by turning it into a personal holiday. Others, like biology professor Lee Witters, use the weekend as an opportunity to reconnect with past students when they return in droves for Homecoming.
Despite this, faculty members' attitudes toward Homecoming are largely apathetic. Traditionally, professors seldom seek involve themselves with the orchestration of the weekend, and most seem content to leave planning and coordination to the devices of the student body and alumni association. In Professor Witters' words, Homecoming is quite simply "a social occasion directed at students and alums." Some professors choose to incorporate the weekend into the academic setting. In a few subject areas, the traditions of Homecoming offer a context in which topics covered in class can be explored. As a result, some courses can be tailored to provide a distinctly "Dartmouth" spin on material taught at all colleges.
Anthropology professor Deborah Nichols said in an email that "Homecoming offers an opportunity to discuss anthropological perspectives on rituals and conspicuous consumption that is very immediate for students, and also to acknowledge Dartmouth's own complex history."
Similarly, chemistry professor Jon Kull often uses the bonfire as a tool for teaching in his chemistry courses. "I often quiz my general class with a question about the bonfire," he said. "I ask them to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide released or to calculate the energy equivalent of gasoline and how far a car could travel with it."
Although he isn't teaching general chemistry courses this fall, Kull's luxuries as a chemistry teacher enable him to take it one step further. "I usually try to blow something up in a demo to add to the general excitement," he said.
Much like faculty, Hanover locals do not turn out en masse to observe the mother of all shmobs encircle a pile of burning timbers, but they play a role in their own right. The annual pilgrimage of alumni and student families places customers on the doorsteps of local businesses. Sales increase, profits go up and the local economy is left with its own victory to celebrate.
For Morano Gelato, the increase in business is particularly marked. Selling campaigns at football games, including the Homecoming game, paired with weekly discounts for Dartmouth students further boost sales.
"We expect a decline in sales with the coming of fall it's a slow season. But during Homecoming, we anticipate a huge influx of business," said manager Aubrey Madison. "We sold out before close at the first football home game, and we're hoping Homecoming will be the same."
As a boon for local business, Dartmouth-centric celebrations or at least ones that draw a crowd seem welcome, if not encouraged by the Hanover community.
On the celebration proclaimed Dartmouth Night and Homecoming weekend, the infrastructure of the Dartmouth community seems to be absent. Perhaps the laundry list of celebrated items should be amended to include the faculty and local community. But even so, they seem content with the status quo. Though we may fail to encompass everyone with our antics, at the very least, we put on a spectacle for them to enjoy.
