General Information:
Informant: MA
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: August 2019
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “DOC Trips”

Informant Data: MA is a 20-year-old Dartmouth student from the class of 2023. She is from Florida and wants to study geography. She is a student-athlete on the softball team, which meant she already knew some people on campus.

Contextual Data: In the week prior to Freshman Orientation week, the Dartmouth Outing Club organizes and oversees “Freshman Year Trips”, where students go on a 3 day trip with six to eight other freshman and two upperclassmen trip leaders. There is a wide range of activities- from hiking to canoeing, to arts and crafts. Upon arrival, the freshmen go to Robinson Hall (Robo) where they are greeted by upperclassmen dressed in random, flamboyant outfits (flair) to check in. They spend the first night preparing for the trip and they are sent into the wilderness of New Hampshire. Throughout this whole period, the freshmen do not have access to their phones and have all their belongings in one bag. This is often an intimidating experience for freshmen entering a totally new environment but is intended to make them feel welcomed and comfortable. 

Social Data: Freshmen are arriving on campus from different corners of the country, and many of them are arriving without any friends. The trips force them into groups where they can meet new people and also learn something about the area surrounding their campus.

Item: Every fall, freshmen go on trips that are led by upperclassmen and get to see the area surrounding their new college campus.

Transcript:

Collector: “What do you remember most about DOC trips?”

Informant: “I remember it being super awkward at first, but then when people started talking we got to know each other very well. It opened my eyes to how different people here are, but expanding my friend group was a good thing. I appreciated the opportunity to observe and enjoy the diversity of everyone on campus. Being from different parts of the country and sometimes the world, it was nice to see we have Dartmouth in common.”

Collector Comment:
I was never able to go on the DOC trips, so it is always kind of bitter-sweet to hear how great of an experience it is for many of the freshmen as they arrive on a new campus. It is a great tradition that Dartmouth does a great job employing.

Collected by:

Ross Parrish 20

Cincinnati, OH

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021