This article is featured in the 2026 Freshman Special Issue.
In 1971, Dartmouth’s faculty overwhelmingly voted to mandate coeducation by the fall of 1972. The early years of coeducation were turbulent. It was only until 16 years after the first class of women began attending the College that the alma mater — Dartmouth’s unifying song, which rings from the Baker-Berry Library bells every day at 6 p.m. — recognized female students in its lyrics.
Men of Dartmouth
Men of Dartmouth, give a rouse
For the college on the hill!
For the Lone Pine above her,
And the loyal sons who love her,
Give a rouse, give a rouse with a will!
For the sons of old Dartmouth,
The sturdy sons of Dartmouth…
Dear Old Dartmouth
Dear old Dartmouth, give a rouse
For the college on the hill,
For the Lone Pine above her,
And the loyal ones who love her.
Give a rouse, give a rouse, with a will!
For the sons of old Dartmouth,
For the daughters of Dartmouth…
Nicole Sakowitz ’88 was the first person to conduct the alma mater, “Dear Old Dartmouth,” as opposed to the previous “Men of Dartmouth,” at the Class of 1988’s Commencement ceremony. As then-president of Glee Club, a group of choral singers, Sakowitz and the other members of the club had sung “Men of Dartmouth” at events — including the Commencement ceremony and alumni gatherings. The Dartmouth sat down with Sakowitz to unpack her role — as a woman and student at Dartmouth — in this moment of the College’s history.
How did you end up being the first person to conduct the new version of the alma mater?
NS: Our class ended up with at least three, if not four, different versions of the alma mater during our time at Dartmouth. There was the original version, an interim version and then a slightly different interim version before the final version. I was not part of the committee that made the changes. I know that they went through quite an involved process to make the decision. There was a lot of upheaval around the whole thing at that time, and a lot of different takes on it.
I remember one of my female colleagues was like, “Yeah, let the guys have it. They have the granite of New Hampshire in their muscles and their brains. We don’t have that.” But there were a lot of other women who felt very disenfranchised by the lyrics. I did feel somewhat disenfranchised. I don’t think I was as vocal about it as some, but I definitely mentioned it.
Every concert ended with the alma mater. During that period, it was really hard to remember which lyrics you were supposed to sing. There would be times where you just flipped to the one that you remember instead of the current one. And Louis Burkot, who was our Glee Club director, before we would get to a changed lyric, would try to cheat the lyric ahead like, “Remember it’s ‘sister stands by brother,’ instead of what we used to say.”
When I conducted “Dear Old Dartmouth” the first time, it was at the end of the spring term of my senior year. The tradition was that the Glee Club president would conduct the alma mater during the final concerts, and so that’s how I ended up being the first to conduct it, and I did the same thing that Louis did, try to anticipate where there were going to be problems, because a lyric or a phrase had changed, and do little signs with my hands or my face.
Did it feel different to sing “Dear Old Dartmouth” instead of “Men of Dartmouth?”
NS: Yes, definitely. When I came in as a first-year, it was kind of exciting because this is the big song for my new alma mater. But the big song for my alma mater doesn’t represent me, you know? I’m not a man. But I was a lot shyer in those times, and I wanted to be singing along with my peers. It was exciting. It was important. We felt like we had a duty, a role, an obligation to represent the school and to provide this song, which is part of the school. But it didn’t represent me, so there were a lot of mixed feelings about it.
It did feel good when the lyrics did represent all of us instead of just some of us.
Do you feel like the general student body supported the changes?
NS: Oh, it was all over the place. Some students were very in favor, and there were a lot of students who were diametrically opposed to any change. If you think about where we are as a country, I could see the current presidential administration giving Dartmouth a hard time for making that kind of change. I would hope that Dartmouth would not have paid attention and done what was right, which is what Dartmouth did then.
At a couple points, the idea of having a completely different alma mater song was discussed. What do you think of this idea?
NS: I personally liked having the historic song, but making it more inclusive of the larger student population. There are other Dartmouth songs that could have been used. The Glee Club, for many years, sang a song that two of the Glee Club members had written. Maybe over time it could have gotten the power and the emotional gravitas that the current alma mater does — but at the time, it really felt like you would be losing that emotion that comes along with the alma mater.
There’s something tremendous when you’re at a football game, or at a concert, or with a group of alums, or just literally walking into the middle of the Green with a group of friends and singing the alma mater. There’s something amazing where you start singing “Dear Old Dartmouth” and within two words, thousands of people in the audience stand up and start singing along with you. It’s mind blowing. It’s amazing. It’s tremendous. It is such a high. I don’t know if another song would have caused that kind of experience for all of us.
Did you ever sing the new version at alumni gatherings? What were the reactions like?
NS: There was some confusion, because they would be singing the old lyrics and we’re singing the new lyrics, but it’s similar enough that the majority of the song was the same. Afterwards, I remember alumni being excited and happy. I vaguely remember some being disgruntled. I do remember that there was some pushback from folks from The Dartmouth Review or from other more reactionary individuals or groups, but that’s part of the process.
Was there a gender dynamic between the people that supported the changes and the people that didn’t?
NS: There were definitely men and women on both sides of the divide, as well as in the middle. There were some men and women who were so vehemently opposed to “Men of Dartmouth” that they didn’t feel like we should have an alma mater at all, or that if we did, it should be something completely different. I remember a classmate who, every time we sang the alma mater — before the lyrics changed — would just sit with her arms crossed, her mouth closed and not sing.
At Commencement in 1986, two women went up to the stage and tore up their programs in protest, as well as distributed flyers asking people not to sing “Men of Dartmouth.” Do you remember this, and how did it affect you?
NS: I would have been a sophomore and up front singing. I remember something like that happening, and I also remember being mystified because none of us could figure out why they were doing what they were doing. I do remember the flyer, and it being a point of discussion, both in the dorms and in the Glee Club.
There were several people in Glee Club who would stand during the alma mater, but actually wouldn’t be singing. I wouldn’t say it was obvious. They weren’t like, “Look at me, I’m not singing”; they would stand with us but they just would not actually sing. My recollection was that everyone did sing the final version.
While the alma mater was under discussion, some people took to singing loudly during the line “lest the old traditions fail.” Did this feel targeted towards women?
NS: As part of the performance of the song, there were certain things that typically happened, and shouting out “lest the old traditions fail” was actually part of the performance. In the audience, there were definitely people who would overly emphasize trying to make a political point. I wouldn’t see it as necessarily an attack on me as a woman, but more of an attack against progress.
How do you think these changes have impacted later generations of women at Dartmouth?
NS: It is certainly more welcoming and inclusive. My own daughter is now an alumna. There were definitely women when we were there who did feel disenfranchised by the original version of the song. It’s fun to have that emotional uplift and appeal, but it’s an emotional uplift and appeal that doesn’t include me. So, having lyrics that do include you no matter what your gender or your gender fluidity is, that’s much more meaningful and much more welcoming.
One of the things that really differentiates Dartmouth from other Ivy Leagues is its collegial community and welcoming. The song just didn’t align with that before, but the song does align with that now.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Kay Alvito ’29 is a news reporter from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil studying comparative literature and creative writing. On campus, she is very involved with the arts as a member of the Rude Mechanicals classical theatre company and the dance group Street Soul.
