For this year’s Green Key weekend, students can expect an array of live music, parties, free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and even a hot air balloon. Highlights include a number of concerts and parties, mainly hosted by Programming Board, Collis Governing Board and various Greek houses.
T-Pain, the Far East Movement and MisterWives are performing at the annual Green Key concert on Friday. Programming Board concert chair Leif Harder ’15 said that Programming Board prioritized student responses to a campus-wide survey when selecting the acts, noting that the top acts were very close in percentage points. Beyond that, they considered other factors such as the affordability and availability of the performers, other schools’ experiences with them and how well they would likely be received at the College.
Harder said that Programming Board began hosting Green Key concerts two years ago, and he thinks the concert serves as a unifying and inclusive event for all of campus. Programming Board does not charge students to attend the concert, and in the past up to 5,000 people have attended.
“We’re trying to get as much of campus together to have a good time, and what better way to do that than putting on a big concert?” Harder said.
Collis Center director of student activities Anna Hall said Collis Governing Board has released a schedule of their events for the weekend. They are holding a three-day event that incorporates concerts, barbecues and activities for students, including a hot air balloon on the Green on Saturday.
Collis assistant director David Pack said that there will be a range of bands performing on the main stage, from student groups to local bands. He said that after the success of MisterWives at Collis last year, they are also trying to bring “emerging” national bands to the stage.
“We are excited to bring them here before they blow up,” he said.
A student committee was formed this year to help select artists and organize events. Zachary Tannenbaum ’17 said that the committee met weekly to compile and narrow down a list of performers before settling on a final line-up.
Pack said the bands they have lined up include MOTHXR, Ghost Beach and Saints of Valory, who have toured and collaborated with major artists in the past.
Patrick Kang ’17, a member of the student committee, said that he hopes that what Collis offers becomes incorporated into Green Key traditions.
“Obviously there’s Block Party, and fraternities have their parties, but I hope this is a way that Collis can make its stamp on Green Key weekend,” Kang said.
Pack said that the students will enjoy the musical performances that Collis has prepared.
“I would love to see the conversation about Green Key start to be about what a great weekend of live music it is,” he said.
Several Greek houses are holding events for students this weekend as well.
Wednesday night started off with Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority’s termly “tackiez” party, the Tabard coed fraternity hosted its termly lingerie event and Chi Heorot fraternity hosted a dance party.
Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity hosted a party Thursday night, while Psi Upsilon fraternity hosted the band Viceroy that evening.
Phi Delta Alpha fraternity will host its annual Block Party on Friday afternoon, featuring live performances from shArk, The Rooks and Lawrence. Following the Programming Board’s Green Key concert, Chi Gamma Epsilon will host its annual Gammapalooza event, co-hosted for the first time by SHEBA dance troupe, and Beta Alpha Omega fraternity will host an American-themed party.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity will host a concert with two performers, Tim Gunter and Gazzo, on their front lawn Saturday afternoon, event organizer Michael Lustrin ’16 said. The brothers wanted to hold an inclusive, accessible event that anybody on campus could attend, he said.
On Saturday evening, Gamma Delta Chi fraternity will host a concert headlined by Elephante.
Alumni Council president Lou Spelios ’95 said that over 100 members of the alumni council will be arriving in Hanover this weekend for a series of meetings from Thursday to Saturday afternoon.
Spelios said that they have a number of events planned for the alumni council, including meetings with College President Phil Hanlon and the Board of Trustees and with interim Dean of the College Inge-Lise Ameer and the deans of the three graduate schools.
“One thing we’re doing this weekend is really focusing on the academic offerings that make Dartmouth unique,” Spelios said.
He said that he hopes the meetings will inform alumni about what is happening at the College relating to academics and administrative initiatives.
“I hope that alumni come away with a really full and current understanding of what is happening on campus,” Spelios said.
He said they will also be visiting the graduate schools and hope to get a chance to interact with students there.
On Friday night, the alumni council will be having a dinner with undergraduate students at the College. They will divide into three groups and hear from students from the Rockefeller Leadership program, students involved in entrepreneurship on campus or the Dickey Center for International Understanding and students who participated in the Tucker Foundation alternative spring break program.
Spelios said that, beyond the turnout for the council meetings, he expects a large number of alumni to visit campus for the big weekend.
“I know that alumni love to come up for Green Key, and I don’t have a sense of how many, but my guess is that you’ll see a pretty good contingent on campus this weekend,” he said.
