Frats, alumni remember wild parties, antics, nudity
By By Christine Paquin & Marina Agapakis | February 10, 2006Courtesy of the Dartmouth College Library One of the College's most enduring traditions, Winter Carnival has been characterized by alumni as a weekend of blizzards, basement bashes and beer. While Carnival is traditionally a celebration of the season, parties and Greek house events have always dominated the social calendar at Dartmouth. Dudley Kay '69, a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, which dissolved in 1971, said Winter Carnival was not only a time for snow sports and games, but also an opportunity for a weekend of good times. "As a Florida boy, Winter Carnival to me was shiver fest, bad date misadventures, awe over ice sculptures and a whole lot of beer and toxic mixtures in the frat basement," Kay said. Kay, who helped build a gigantic sculpture of a German clad in lederhosen and clutching a gigantic mug of beer during one Carnival weekend, also remembered shivering on the golf course, waiting to watch the ski jump. Bill Murphy '78, a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity, said he remembers flying off the same ski jump on cafeteria trays during Winter Carnival weekend and attending a higher-than-usual number of frat parties. "There were more events, more parties at that time than on a normal weekend," Murphy said.