Filled with pulsating lights and the sticky humidity of too many bodies packed together, a night in a dorm or fraternity basement has become an iconic aspect of Dartmouth “going out” culture. At the center of it all is the music — the deep, booming bass, the familiar beats that keep students moving long after midnight. And at the heart of the music is the DJ.
DJs are integral to these kinds of social events because of their ability to shape the environment and energy through music. Sue Yoo ’29, who attended the laser and music show at this year’s Homecoming bonfire, shared that the DJ was crucial to “setting the atmosphere.”
“I don’t think the lasers or even the music itself would have been as impactful without the DJ,” Yoo said. “The DJ choosing and mixing the songs was really important for keeping the energy up for the crowd.”
At Dartmouth, DJs have become a cultural staple for nights out. Tori Famularo ’26, renowned across campus for her sets, began DJing during her freshman summer.
“I had a job and I was just kind of bored, like at nights and I’m like, what do I do,” Famularo said. “And I kept on seeing DJs all over social media and whatnot. And I’ve loved EDM music for God knows how long. So I was like, I’ll just get a board.”
Emma Bell ’29, another of Dartmouth’s female DJs, shared a similar sentiment.
“I’ve always liked music,” Bell said. “I thought it was cool because I used to go out a lot in New York City and I would run into a lot of DJs and chat with them, and they all looked like they were having so much fun.”
However, learning to DJ proved to be challenging. Famularo recalled that when she first started, it seemed like “a lost cause.”
“My parents would listen to me every day and they’d be like, ‘what’s going on there?’” she said. “And then I decided I was going to invest $200 more and get a better board and see if I’m any better.”
Bell agreed and said that “DJing was a big thing in [her] high school, so it was super competitive, and because of that [she] didn’t really get to perform that often.”
Famularo said that the entire process of performing at Dartmouth is often more complicated than many expect.
“Not only are you DJing, but there’s a lot of setup beforehand, like cables and wires,” she said. “My speaker is literally 50 pounds, my board is 50 pounds, so I have to have people help me set up, so it definitely takes a lot of intensive labor.”
There are also technical issues that come with the venues themselves, posing a different challenge.
“The Russell-Sage speaker system was messed up and essentially I had to buy like a bunch of different cords to fix it,” said Bell, who DJs in the Russell-Sage basement. “I had to literally have meetings with the tech help desk and they told me what to buy, so I bought all these cords and I was just in there twisting stuff until I figured it out.”
On top of the logistical hurdles, female DJs face the difficulty of wielding control in male-dominated spaces. Famularo, who mostly performs at fraternities such as Chi Gamma Epsilon and Alpha Chi Alpha, said that at first “people do underestimate you.”
“Once guys were like trying to touch my board because they thought I was doing things wrong and I had to swat their hands away,” Famularo said.
Bell echoed Famularo’s frustration.
“Even if a guy has never seen this equipment in his life he’ll walk up and start touching your setup,” said Bell. “Like the deck, the circular knob, touching that lightly with your finger will stop the entire music. So I have guys come up and start messing with the deck and they don’t know it stops the song, which is definitely annoying.”
Even establishing credibility within Dartmouth’s DJ community has proven challenging for women on campus. When reflecting on the process of choosing DJs for the Homecoming bonfire show, Bell said it was “definitely disappointing.”
“I really wanted to DJ, especially because it would be so cool for a woman to perform in such a big show,” said Bell. “I talked to so many people and worked really hard, but in the end a different guy got chosen. It felt like they automatically assumed I didn’t have as much experience because I was a woman, even though I told them I had been DJing in New York City for years.”
Now, as an established professional DJ, Famularo said “it would be incredible to see other female DJs succeed [at Dartmouth] too.”
“It was really hard networking when I was just starting out,” she said. “I didn’t think people would take me seriously because I’m a woman, so I definitely understand how it feels.”
Despite the difficulties that come with being a female DJ, however, Famularo argued that there are advantages too.
“As a woman I do feel like I have more influence over the atmosphere,” Famularo said. “I’m better at understanding what women like, and it’s always women who cause a dancing scene to start. Like, have you ever seen a guy start a dance?”
The experience of female DJs just unveils another aspect of the Dartmouth social scene. While the music resounding throughout a frat basement might go unappreciated by student partygoers, it is the heartbeat of the night — the product of hours of preparation, practice and persistence. Though being a female DJ can come with burdens of intimidation and disrespect, it is also a powerful kind of visibility — a demonstration of discipline, artistry and perseverance.
