Consent Forms
Leave a reply
Category Archives: FA21-Grp-02
Informant Release Forms (Nick Hepburn)
Twilight Ceremony (Nick Hepburn)
General Information about the item:
Title: Twilight Ceremony
Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)
Language: English
Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States
Informant: WW’24
Date Collected: October 29th, 2021
Informant Data: WW is 20 years old and a member of the class of 24 at Dartmouth College. He is from Nashville, TN where he went to high school and played football and baseball. He currently resides in Hanover, NH and plays football for Dartmouth. He is also a member of the club DIPP and Greek life. Last fall, WW lived on the second floor of Lord Hall and completed his orientation from his dorm room.
Contextual Data:
– Social Context: The Twilight Ceremony is completed to bond the new students over their completion of orientation and create cohesion in the new class, but also within the Dartmouth community as a whole as the recent graduating class passes on the flame. For new students, this shows just how committed the College is to upholding strong bonds between the members of its community.
– Cultural Context: Dartmouth puts a lot of emphasis on welcoming the freshman class to the Dartmouth community right away. Orientation allows the new students to get to know Dartmouth and the community better and then at the end of orientation the Twilight Ceremony marks their entrance into the community. The ceremony is a time for the entire freshman class to be together and start their college journey as one.
Item: Dartmouth Freshmen participate in the Twilight Ceremony at the end of orientation program to mark their entrance into Dartmouth’s community. During the Twilight Ceremony, freshmen walk with their candles from Collis to Bema where their candles are lit. A member of the senior class imparts words of wisdom onto the new students and then the alma mater is sung.
Associated File (courtesy of Dartmouth College):
Transcript:
Collector: “What occurred during the Twilight Ceremony and what was its importance to you?”
Informant: “Last year the orientation program was very different cause of COVID-19 and everything being on Zoom. I remember that they gave us orientation packets when we arrived on campus and the packet had a candle in it. Everyone was very confused about what we were supposed to do with the candle. Before the end of orientation they sent an email saying that the Twilight Ceremony was going to occur virtually and that we should have our candles ready. During the ceremony, a few members of the administration spoke and then one of the acapella groups sang the alma mater at the end. It was nice that they tried to make it happen over zoom, but it was kind of a weird experience from my dorm room. There was also an in-person Twilight Ceremony this year where we met outside Collis, got the candles, and then went to Bema for the ceremony. It felt much more genuine than over Zoom and it was nice to be together as a class. I was definitely able to get the sense of community that is so strong here at Dartmouth ”
Collector Comment: I enjoyed hearing WW talk about the Twilight Ceremony and the differences between last year and this year. His commentary coincided with my own experiences with the event.
Collected by:
Nick Hepburn 20
Hampton, NH
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College
RUSS 013
Freshman Orientation Program (Nick Hepburn)
General Information about the item:
Title: Freshman Orientation Program
Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)
Language: English
Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States
Informant: CG’24
Date Collected: October 25th, 2021
Informant Data: CG is 20 years old and a member of the class of 24 at Dartmouth College. He is originally from just outside Chicago, Illinois where he attended high school. CG has been rowing most of his life and is a member of the heavyweight rowing team at Dartmouth. Outside of rowing CG is a member of DIPP and is involved in Greek life.
Contextual Data:
– Social Context: Due to Dartmouth’s strong emphasis on community, the College uses its orientation program as a way to build community among the new class of students. Orientation Peer Leader groups allow new students to get to know one another in a personal setting, as well as to get to know a couple older students that they can go to if they have any questions or need advice.
– Cultural Context: There are many aspects of Dartmouth that are unique to the college and need to be learned by freshmen in order for them to be successful at the school. Some of this knowledge is implemented by the College such as the honor principle and course selection and other knowledge is implemented by the peer leaders such as nicknames for buildings on campus. The orientation program allows time for freshmen to get to know all of these things and begin to dive into the community that is so prevalent at the College.
Item: Dartmouth’s orientation program is completed by all new students before their first term at Dartmouth. The purpose of this program is to introduce students to Dartmouth and all the resources that are available, as well as to give students the opportunity to bond with the other students in their orientation peer leader group. These groups usually are made up of around 15 students and two peer leaders. The peer leaders walk the students through course selection, the liberal arts, the honor principle, and student involvement to name a few. The peer leaders also lead games that allow the new students to get to know each other. This program takes a fair amount of time, but is something that all students have to go through
Transcript:
Collector: “What was the orientation program and what has been its importance to your Dartmouth experience?”
Informant: “Last fall before the start of classes the entire freshman class had to do orientation. It was a bit different than other years because we had to do everything over Zoom and this made it more of a challenge because of all the time we had to spend on a computer. Anyways, during orientation our peer leaders gave us a lot of information about Dartmouth and stuff we should know as freshmen. We also attempted to play ice breaker type games, but it was challenging to do over zoom. The thing that I took away from it though was my relationship with my peer leaders. They helped me answer all the questions I had and I still talk with them today. One of them is actually the reason I ended up rushing the frat that I did.”
Collector Comment: I enjoyed hearing CG’s perspective on the orientation program because I was not as involved and did not get to know my orientation leaders that well, but now I wish that I took the time to get to know them.
Collected by:
Nick Hepburn 20
Hampton, NH
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College
RUSS 013
Walking Around Bonfire on Homecoming Weekend (Nick Hepburn)
General Information about the item:
Title: Walking around the Bonfire on Homecoming Weekend
Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)
Language: English
Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States
Informant: JG
Date Collected: November 11th, 2021
Informant Data: JG is a 20 year old freshman at Dartmouth College. She is originally from Boston, MA and played lacrosse at Phillips Andover. JG is older than most 25s because she decided to take a gap year last year. During her gap year she worked as a ski instructor at the Yellowstone Club in Montana. JG currently resides in Hanover, NH.
Contextual Data:
– Social Context: Dartmouth holds true to its strong community that goes back centuries. Graduated students remain close to the College and often come back to visit on Homecoming weekend. Part of the reason that graduated students will return is to see the next generation of Dartmouth students walk around the fire and become part of the community that the alumni so cherish. It is apparent just how many alumni come back when looking at the great amount of people that surround the outer ring of the bonfire.
– Cultural Context: Dartmouth prides itself on its long standing traditions and tries to uphold these traditions to the best of its ability. The bonfire has been a staple in these traditions and is one that is most looked forward to by the freshmen class. Walking around the fire resembles the students entering the Dartmouth community and it promotes cohesion among the freshmen class as they walk around the fire together.
Item: Every year on homecoming weekend, a bonfire is built at the center of the Green on Dartmouth’s campus. The bonfire is lit at night and the freshman class gathers and walks around the fire while alumni and other students cheer them on.
Associated File (courtesy of Dartmouth College, The Dartmouth):
Transcript:
Collector: “Why did (or didn’t) you take part in the homecoming bonfire? What made it worth taking part in?”
Informant: “I think a lot of us here are drawn to Dartmouth because we want to be part of a school that has a deep sense of tradition/history — at least I know that was one of the biggest pulls for me to apply here. The persistence of traditions like the homecoming bonfire are demonstrations of how fiercely spirited/attached Dartmouth students and alumni are to this school – getting to be a part of these traditions feels kind of like the first step in really becoming and bonding with that tight-knit network which is the Dartmouth community. During the bonfire, I was really able to see this come to life. As I walked one circle around the fire, I was able to see the faces of so many older students and alumni standing around the outer ring. It was comforting to know that they all came to show support for my class as we begin our years at Dartmouth ”
Collected by:
Nick Hepburn 20
Hampton, NH
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College
RUSS 013
First Year Trips (Nick Hepburn)
General Information about the item:
Title: First Year Trips
Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)
Language: English
Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States
Informant: DG’25
Date Collected: November 1st, 2021
Informant Data: DG is 19 years old and a freshman at Dartmouth College. DG is originally from Chicago, Illinois, but currently resides in Hanover, NH. Growing up DG played baseball for his high school and on a travel team. Since coming to Dartmouth, DG has joined the heavyweight rowing team and is planning on studying economics.
Contextual Data:
– Social Context: A majority of students come to Dartmouth with zero prior relationships and are forced to interact with new people and make new friends. This can always be a challenge and the First Year trips attempt to make the transition easier and give new students a group of people that can get to know and be bonded with through their experiences during the trips. Many students who participate in trips are still in contact with either their trip leader or the other students that participated in the trip with them.
– Cultural Context: Dartmouth is located in a unique location in Hanover, NH. Hanover is a small town in rural New Hampshire that is surrounded by woods and mountains. For many students, Dartmouth is a drastic change of scenery. This provides an opportunity for students to gain experiences that would not have been possible had they not chosen to come to Dartmouth. For these reasons along with the fact that Dartmouth places an emphasis on class cohesion and bonding, the College decided to implement first year trips.
Item: First Year Trips is a program implemented by Dartmouth and run by the DOC. In these trips, groups of around 10 students spend a few days outdoors doing activities that align with the theme of the trip that the students sign up for. Some examples of these themes include cabin camping and fly fishing. The groups are led by trip leaders who are older members of the College.
Associated File (courtesy of Dartmouth College DOC, represents the events that DG Gramza describes):
Transcript:
Collector: “How did DOC trips make you feel as a freshman coming into a new environment?”
Informant: “I felt that the trips really helped me to immerse myself with the people that were in my class and be able to connect better to Dartmouth as a whole. During the trip, a couple things that my group did was hike and eat dinner at the ravine lodge on Mount Moosilauke. It was great to be able to have shared experiences over a ton of different activities with people that I may not have met otherwise. The trips gave me a great foundation of friends that I could branch out from and make my own experience of Dartmouth”
Collector Comment: It was great to hear DG’s perspective on trips and some of the things that he and his group did. Due to COVID, I was unable to participate in trips, but DG was able to help me understand the importance of the tradition.
Collected by:
Nick Hepburn 20
Hampton, NH
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College
RUSS 013
Fraternity Ban (Nick Hepburn)
General Information:
Title: Fraternity Ban
Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)
Language: English
Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States
Informant: TB’23
Date Collected: November 7th, 2021
Informant Data: TB is 21 years old and a junior at Dartmouth College. He is originally from Chicago, Illinois and played baseball growing up. At Dartmouth, TB is involved in Greek Life and continues to play baseball through the club baseball team.
Contextual Data:
– Social Context: Unlike many other schools, freshmen at Dartmouth are coming from a variety of national and international locations and come with many different experiences. The frat ban allows these students of many backgrounds to get to know one another though they might not have been inclined to get to know each other with the presence of Greek life.
– Cultural Context: Freshman fall is an important time in the eyes of Dartmouth’s Administration. They want to make this as inclusive and welcoming as possible in order to form bonds between students in the incoming class. Dartmouth also has a large Greek life presence on campus which can sometimes be exclusive. To ensure that members of the freshman class spend as much time together during the first semester as possible, the College instituted a frat ban. This is a six week long period in which freshmen are not allowed to enter the fraternities on campus. Though this limits the things that freshmen can do on the weekends, many look back on the frat ban as a time that allowed them to get closer to their class and meet people that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Item: Dartmouth Freshmen are subject to the Frat Ban which is a six week period in which they are not allowed to enter fraternities on campus. This is instituted by the College and is upheld by the fraternities and the Department of Safety and Security. Freshmen stay in their dormitories and form bonds with either their roommate(s) or fellow freshmen in the dorm.
Associated File (courtesy of The Dartmouth Review, pictured is the Choates dorms, one of the Freshman Dorms for Allen House where freshman congregate during the Frat Ban)
Transcript:
Collector: “What was your experience with the frat ban and how did it affect your freshman fall and did it promote cohesion within your class and or the people in your dorm?”
Informant: “My perception of the frat ban going into college was that it would be a barrier to having fun and meeting people, but I think it did exactly what it’s intended to do which is get you to meet people more organically that in a fraternity setting. Since joining Psi U I’ve spent the vast majority of my time with the brothers, and I think had it not been for the frat ban I would have a far smaller pool of friends because I wouldn’t have had the kind of forced opportunity to branch out in the way that I did. I’m still really tight with some of the people on the floor of my freshman year dorm, and generally feel that I met a ton of great people who I might otherwise not have if they lack interest in the fraternity scene.”
Collector Comment: It is interesting to hear the perspective of someone who actually went through the Frat Ban while fraternities were operating at full capacity. I went through more of an organic Frat Ban as the result of frats being shut down and the only thing to do on the weekends was to interact with the other people on my floor and in my dorm.
Collected by:
Nick Hepburn 20
Hampton, NH
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College
RUSS 013
Athletes Parade (Other Dartmouth Freshman Traditions)
General Information:
Informant: Macklin Ayers
Place: Dartmouth College
Date: October 9th, 2021
Form of Folklore: Customary, Parade
Title: Athletes parade
Contextual Data:
Social Data: The folklore was collected during an interview with the informant. The person I interviewed is a 24’ who experienced their first Dartmouth homecoming this year. Every homecoming weekend, athletes parade around the city handing out candy in celebration of homecoming weekend.
Cultural Data:
Dartmouth Homecoming is something that is very special and dear to the town of Hanover. Dartmouth athletics serve as a key event to attend, not only for the students of the college, but also the residence of the city as Dartmouth College is said to have a college town.
Associated File:
Collector:
“Why do (or don’t) you take part in traditions such as the homecoming parade?”
Informant:
“ I like to take part in the Dartmouth parade because it shows everyone my involvement within the college. Coming into Dartmouth and being part of a sport is one of the best decisions I have ever made. While on the parade you get to interact with other sports teams and learn more about them and their sport ultimately bringing athletes closer together.
Collector’s Comment:
This folklore demonstrates a tradition that is shared within Dartmouth athletics.
Tags/ Keywords
Dartmouth Athletics
Elite
College Sports
Ivy League
Hanover
Collectors Name: Leonard St Gourdin
Lous Challenge (Other Dartmouth Fall Freshmen Traditions)
General Data:
Informant: Tevita Moi Moi
Place: Dartmouth College
Date: October 25th, 2020
Form of Folklore: Customary
Title: Lous Challenge
Social Data:
The folklore was collected during an interview with the informant. The Lous challenge gives participants the task of staying up throughout the night, something that is referred to as “pulling an all nighter.” It is typically done with a group of friends which at the end brings a closer bond amongst everyone.
Cultural Data:
Dartmouth is located in the town of Hanover which is also home to the Lous restaurant
Associated File:
Collector:
“Are there any other traditions we haven’t discussed that you think are important to fall of freshman year at Dartmouth ?”
Informant:
“A challenge that I have taken part of is the Lous challenge. So how the challenge goes is that you will have to pull an all nighter. Typically I have heard of students taking on the challenge after finishing finals. After completing the all-nighter, students will grab a meal at 7AM at the Lous restaurant in Hanover as a token of completion. This challenge has definitely given me great memories my freshman fall and also brought me closer to the group of friends I had the privilege to get to know.”
Collector’s Comment:
This piece of folklore shows an activity done by freshmen with the outcome of bringing the group’s bond closer together through the challenge.
Tags/Keywords:
Custom
English
Freshman Fall
All nighter
Collectors Name: Leonard St Gourdin
Sun Hike to Gile (Other Freshman Dartmouth Traditions)
General Information
Title: Sun Hike to Gile
Form of Folklore: customary, Gile Moutain
Language: English
Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States
Informant: Bamlak Messay
Date Collected: September 14th, 2019
Informant Data:
This informant is a member of the Dartmouth Class of 23′ and is on the pre med track. She is a native of Virginia where majority of her family resides.
Social Data:
This piece of folklore was collected through an interview process with the informant. The informant is currently a ‘23 at Dartmouth and discussed a tradition she remembers from her freshman fall of 2019. During freshman fall, Freshmans at Dartmouth go on hike early in the morning at 4:40 AM to Guile mountain to view the sunrise as well as the scenery of the fall leaves.
Associated File:
Collector:
“Are there any other traditions we haven’t discussed that you think are important to fall of freshman year at Dartmouth ?”
Informant Comments:
“One of the special experiences that I had the privilege to be a part of was the Sun rise hike to Gile mountain. I went with the majority of my classmates at about 4:40 AM which was a big sacrifice but worth it. The scene was beautiful as it showed the changing colors of the trees around as well as bodies of water really giving a great view of nature around Dartmouth.
Collector Comment:
This folklore demonstrates a shared experience of freshmans when they enter the Dartmouth community in order to familiarize themselves with the area that they will spend a lot of time in.
Tags/ Keywords:
Hike
Freshman trip
Dartmouth first years
Gile Mountain
Collectors Name: Leonard St Gourdin