Alums reflect on change in campus culture
Originating in September 1895, Dartmouth Night and its iconic bonfire have remained a mainstay of campus culture, despite some changes from celebrations of the past.
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Originating in September 1895, Dartmouth Night and its iconic bonfire have remained a mainstay of campus culture, despite some changes from celebrations of the past.
Students seeking Homecoming weekend celebrations outside of Greek life will be offered a selection of both, including the Homecoming bonfire and an a cappella showcase.
Each year, Dartmouth's campus population swells to accommodate the influx of alumni young and old for Homecoming. Though many students believe that the raging bonfire and week of parties are unique to the College, a survey of other Ivy League institutions indicates that peer schools celebrate their fall weekends with a variety of festivities. Dartmouth's Homecoming festivities, due to the small school size and active alumni, feature close contact between current students and returning graduates. Peer institutions' large graduate school populations and frequent alumni reunions result in a different experience.
Approximately 500 students are taking an off-term this fall, according to the Registrar. Homecoming is starts off with Dartmouth Night, an event introduced by former College President William Jewett Tucker in 1895 to promote class spirit and welcome the freshman class.
"Boy, it's been so long," Hanlon said. "I don't even know the whole set of events that go into it. I know there's a big football game and other sporting events. I know there's this parade. I know there's a bonfire."
Former Eco-rep and member of the 2013 Big Green Bus crew Patrick Saylor '16 said he sees a few areas in which the big weekend creates a negative impact on the environment, including the bonfire and the amount of waste accumulated. Saylor said that the waste comes from more than the alcohol consumption, as there are a number of waste-producing events held on campus.
Alumni communications director Diana Lawrence said that the College expects about 4,000 alumni and friends this year.
UGAs often face similarly uncomfortable situations every year over big weekends while making rounds. Check-ins are part of the larger duties UGAs have during Homecoming, which also include organizing dinner parties and leading freshmen on the Freshman Sweep. Though some discontent exists among freshman UGAs over missing out on festivities, most take pride in the role they play in guiding freshmen through one of Dartmouth's most cherished traditions.
Safety and Security director Harry Kinne said the department will once again work with officers from Green Mountain Security, a Vermont-based security company, on Friday night.
Let's talk history.
I have a confession to make to the '17s: I never ran all of the 14 laps during my freshmen bonfire.
The big weekend of the term for freshmen has arrived two weeks earlier than last year, giving first-year students less time to prepare for the festivities.
Because this year's Homecoming falls on Columbus Day weekend, businesses and the College expect the attendance to be high.
This week, 4,000 visitors are predicted to set foot on campus to celebrate the fall's trademark event.
After the excitement of the Homecoming football game quiets down and the heat of the bonfire cools, Greek houses will host a variety of events including dance parties, pig roasts and other social gatherings to unite students, alumni and families.
While the looming wooden rail architecture of today's Homecoming bonfire was carefully blueprinted by the Thayer School of Engineering in the 1970s, the original bonfire in 1888 consisted of nothing more than stray combustible materials, including mattresses and a rusty car bumper. Since then, many traditions surrounding Dartmouth Night and Homecoming have evolved, but those that have endured unite students and alumni each fall during a weekend of celebrations, including the signature bonfire and football game.
Although Homecoming is traditionally seen as a weekend crafted by and wholly dedicated to first-year students, members of the Class of 2017 will be largely barred from attending fraternity and sorority parties over the weekend due to the new policy that prohibits freshman from entering Greek houses serving alcohol for the first six weeks of school.
Perhaps this is why our school's tradition of Homecoming is so dear to us because it touches on our most basic desire to interact, remember and engage.
Because Dartmouth requires all freshmen to have the SmartChoice20 as their dining plan in the fall, many of my friends have come up with creative ways to spend their extra meal swipes. Two girls on my floor regularly go to the Hop to cash in on their late-night allowance of $5.25. The duo stocks up on so many snacks that they have a box filled with potato chips and gummy worms that they then share with the entire floor. Usually around midnight, they make their rounds, tempting each student to take a snack break from an otherwise long night of studying.
Last spring, the Greek Leadership Council enacted a policy change that barred freshmen from entering Greek houses until after Homecoming weekend. This policy represents a student-led attempt to take ownership of campus life issues and help prevent binge drinking and sexual assault. With Homecoming now upon us, members of the Class of 2017 will soon be allowed to enter Greek houses, and the community will begin to evaluate the relative effectiveness of the policy. At the present moment, however, it appears that this evaluation will be nearly impossible due to a lack of data on the relevant topics.