Informant Information: Duncan Robinson is from Houston, Texas and a member of the Class of 2016 at Dartmouth College.  He is a member of the baseball team and Beta Alpha Omega.

Type of Folklore: Customary Folklore (Customs)

Language: English

Country of Origin: United States of America

Social / Cultural Context: Duncan Robinson was asked what rituals within the Dartmouth dating community came to mind.  The first ritual he responded with was the Dartmouth 7, as did many of our other informants.  He also knew a few people who had completed some of the Dartmouth 7.

Associated File:

Transcript: “You also mentioned the Dartmouth 7 before, what is the Dartmouth 7? When did you hear about it?”

“Dartmouth 7, I think I heard about it very early on freshman year. It’s almost one of those like legendary things, like if you’re the person that did the Dartmouth 7 then oh that’s awesome for that guy or girl.”

“And what is the Dartmouth 7?”

“The Dartmouth 7 is the seven places you should have sex with someone else before you graduate. It is the 50 yard line, the Bema, the Stacks, the steps of Dartmouth Hall, the Green, the president’s lawn and the top of the Hop.”

Informant’s Comments:  While the informant declined to comment on whether not he has completed any of the Dartmouth 7, he did say that he knew people who have complete some, if not all, of it.

Collector’s Comments: The Dartmouth 7 was mentioned by every single informant we interviewed.  There is strong knowledge regarding the Dartmouth 7 among students on campus.A couple of informants also stated that they learned about the Dartmouth 7 while on their Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) trips.