General Information:
Informant: Patrick Wright
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: October 27, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “Snowball Fight”

Informant Data: Patrick is a 20-year-old Dartmouth student who is a part of the class of 2023. He was born and raised in Georgia, but he lives on campus at Dartmouth in Hanover, NH for most of the year. He is a student-athlete participating on the football team and has an interest in studying economics. His grandfather, James Wright, was the President of Dartmouth College from 1998 to 2009.

Contextual Data: On the first snow fall of the year, Dartmouth undergraduates receive an email from Dr. Seuss to Robert Frost and the undergraduate community. The email entails a poem, which invites the students to partake in a snowball fight on the green at midnight.

Social Data: The first snowfall of the year can be a sign of a long winter coming for Dartmouth freshman coming from areas with a more moderate climate, but the snowball fight provides an opportunity for freshman students to see the positive aspects of Hanover, New Hampshire’s snowy weather. The involvement of the whole undergraduate community in a playful snowball fight introduces the freshman into a campus that celebrates the location of the college.  

Item: Snowball fight conducted at midnight on the first snowfall of the year, which is initiated by an email from Dr. Seuss.

Transcript: 
Collector: “Are there any other traditions we haven’t discussed that you think are important to freshman year at Dartmouth College?”

Informant: “The snowball fight was a pretty cool experience since I’m originally from an area that rarely ever sees snow. I prefer the warmer weather so the first time it really snowed; I knew that it was going to be a big adjustment for me. I was pretty confused when I randomly received the email about the snowball fight, but I ended up going and having a really good time. I think it definitely helped me adjust to the weather.”

Collector Comment: As someone from a warmer area, I understand how difficult it can be to adjust to the winter weather in Hanover, New Hampshire. The snowball fight allows students to see that they are not alone in cold, but they can actually turn the weather into something fun and constructive.

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021