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Lobster and Steak Dinner

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General Information:
Informant: Sophie Pinnie
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: November 4, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “Lobster and Steak Dinner”

Informant Data: Sophie is a 21-year-old Dartmouth student who is a part of the class of 2023. She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but she lives on campus at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire. She is a student-athlete participating on the soccer team and is majoring in government.

Contextual Data: At the end of orientation week, the Dartmouth Dining Services provides a dinner for the students consisting of steak and lobster. The freshmen come to the ’53 Commons dining hall together to eat the meal. This meal is the nicest meal that they offer during the whole year since it is meant to celebrate the freshmen’s incorporation into Dartmouth College.

Social Data: The lobster and steak dinner is an exciting end to orientation week since it provides an expensive meal to the freshmen class. This dinner allows the freshmen to continue to meet and become acquainted with each other over a nice dinner.

Item: The lobster and steak dinner provided to freshmen at ’53 Commons.  

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

Informant: “The steak and lobster dinner was something that was memorable to me during my freshman fall since it felt like a celebration for me entering the Dartmouth community. It also set my expectations really high for the dining hall, which didn’t end up being as true as I’d hoped.”

Collector Comment: I recall the lobster and steak dinner as being a surprise my freshman fall since I did not expect the dining hall to provide such an expensive meal. I still look forward to the meal since all individuals on campus are able to join in the celebration of welcoming the freshmen class.

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021

Bonfire

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General Information:
Informant: Braden Mullen
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: November 2, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “Bonfire”

Informant Data: Braden Mullen is a 19-year-old Dartmouth student who is part of the class of 2025. He is from Glenview, Illinois, but he lives on campus at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire since the beginning of the fall term. He is a student-athlete participating on the football team and has an interest in studying economics.  

Contextual Data: Every fall term at Dartmouth there is a Homecoming celebration, which consists of parades, speeches, a bonfire, and homecoming football game. The bonfire is built on the center of the green with the freshman’s class number displayed largely at the top of the fire. The freshmen are supposed to run/walk around the fire.

Social Data: Homecoming weekend and the bonfire are intended to welcome the freshmen class to the Dartmouth community, while also providing a time for alumni to visit. When the freshmen run around the fire, the upperclassmen shout for them to “touch the fire.”

Item: The homecoming bonfire built on Dartmouth’s green with the freshmen’s class number at the top. 

Transcript: 
Collector: “What is your attitude towards Homecoming Weekend and the Bonfire tradition?”

Informant: “The bonfire was a really cool experience since it showed me how important traditions are at Dartmouth, especially since I saw so many alumni enjoying the event. It was a little weird to have both the 24 and 25 on top of the bonfire since COVID prevented the sophomores from having their chance to run around the fire.”

Collector Comment: As an older student, I really enjoy homecoming weekend since many of the recent graduates come back for the event. Although I have never seen someone attempt to touch the fire, the stories of individuals making the attempt are often reiterated during homecoming weekend. It is also interesting to hear how the tradition has evolved from alumni.

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021

First-Year Trips

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General Information:
Informant: Evan Fu
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: October 22, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “First-Year Trips”

Informant Data: Evan Fu is a 21-year-old Dartmouth student who is part of the class of 2022. He is from Palo Alto, California, and he lives on campus at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire for most of the year. He is a computer science major and an active member in Dartmouth’s investing program.

Contextual Data: In the weeks prior to freshmen orientation, the Dartmouth Outing Club organizes the first-year trips, which take incoming freshmen on a wide range of outings such as mountain biking, fishing, hiking, etc. The groups consist of six to eight freshman and two upperclassmen. During the trips, the freshmen do not have access to their phones or showers and are expected to have all their belongings in one portable bag.

Social Data: The first-year trips can be an intimidating experience for freshmen since it requires them to spend a few days in the outdoors with people they didn’t know before. This experience allows for freshmen to create relationships prior to orientation week and learn about the outdoor activities available to them around campus.

Item: Every fall, freshmen go on a trip led by the Dartmouth Outing Club to experience the outdoors around Dartmouth’s campus.

Transcript: 
Collector: “How did DOC trips make you feel as a freshman coming into a new environment?”

Informant: “The first-year trips were definitely an interesting experience that made me feel like everything about Dartmouth revolved around the outdoors, and it felt like the Dartmouth Outing Club was attempting to force this focus on outdoors. As someone who isn’t very interested in the outdoors, I felt disillusioned which quickly changed when I came back to campus. Although I did meet a lot of people, the trip really felt like a summer camp and shouldn’t be a deciding factor for coming to Dartmouth”

Collector Comment: I was never able to go on my trip since they are held during fall camp for football, but I have heard a wide range of reviews and experiences.  

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021

Highlighter Party

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General Information:
Informant: Keegan McHugh
Place: Hanover, NH
Date: October 23, 2021
Genre/Form of folklore: Customary/Ritual
Title: “Highlighter Party”

Informant Data: Keegan is a 22-year-old Dartmouth College student who is a member of the class of 2022. He is from Bel Air, Maryland, but he has lived around or on campus at Dartmouth continuously for the past 3 years. He is a student-athlete on the football team and is majoring in sociology.

Contextual Data: During freshmen fall there is a fraternity ban, which last for the first six weeks of the term. This ban means that freshmen are not allowed to enter a fraternity or Greek life house except for one party held by Chi Heorot. This party is referred to as “highlighter” due to the theme being neon or highlighter colored attire.

Social Data: The Highlighter party allows Dartmouth freshman to experience an alcohol-free fraternity event specifically designed for their class. This event allows the freshmen to enjoy a party while also building relationships within their class.

Item: The Highlighter Party is a dry event for the freshmen held at Chi Heorot during the fall term.

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

Informant: “The highlighter party at Heorot is one of my fondest memories of freshman fall since it allowed us to enjoy an actual fraternity party rather than being in a dorm room due to the fraternity ban. I was able to meet a ton of people outside of my team and built relationships with a lot of people that I am still friends with today.”

Collector Comment: I remember the highlighter party being so popular that individuals were doing anything possible to get inside. This tradition also provides a much more efficient way to meet people than dorm parties that typically occur during freshman fall since dorm parties typically involve people you have met previously.

Collected by:

Carson Reich 21

Houston, TX

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College

RUSS 013

Fall 2021

Snowball Fight

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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