Category Archives: FA21-Grp-02

Topic: Freshman Fall Traditions at Dartmouth

Cabin-Camping DOC Trip

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General Information about Item:

  • Informant: Stephanie P.
  • Location: Hanover, NH
  • Date Collected: 10-29-21
  • Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual
  • Language: English

Informant Data:

  • Stephanie is a female, class of 2022 Dartmouth student.  She was born and raised in Colorado. Outside of doing schoolwork, she enjoys skiing and spending time outside. While at home in Colorado, she likes to travel around the state and take in the nature. She experienced the DOC trip her freshman year in 2018.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: First-year freshman trips are outdoor orientations programs led by returning students. They happen every fall – with exception to last year because of the pandemic. Stephanie, like many other incoming students, was concerned coming into Dartmouth as she moved across the country. She contemplated doing the program, but ultimately chose to do it and enjoyed her decision.  
  • Social Context: Coming into Dartmouth, students have little knowledge about the school and its surrounding nature. To expose it to them, returning students take the freshman on trips so that they can build relationships for their four years as undergrads.  

Item:

  • Just like the other informants, Stephanie received a survey asking for trip preferences before arriving to school. She described the process – “I don’t recall all the options, but I remember hiking, climbing, and cabin-camping.” She appreciates the outdoors, but not enough to be outside all day; so, she picked cabin-camping as her first choice. Attached below is a picture that she took at the Moosilauke Lodge. She had this to say about the area – “everyone needs to make it out to this lodge. It is beautifully constructed inside and out. During my trip, we spent most of our time exploring the surroundings, and we were able to hang out in the cabin whenever we want.”

Associated file:

Transcript:

  • “I really enjoyed my DOC trip and recommend that every freshman should do it. A part of me with I chose another preference, but I really liked the cabin-camping option… To this day, I still have 2 close friends that I made on this trip – and I think that is the main goal of these trips, to bond with other incoming students.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • S.P. recollects these events from 2018 – when she was a freshman. She contemplated even going to a trip, however after reflecting on it, she was happy that she went through with it.

Collector’s Comments:

  • S.P. appreciated the trip that occurred in 2018. The cabin-camping seemed very different from Sean’s experience, but they served the same purpose as it acted as a perfect transition activity.

Collector’s Name: Ben Keeter

Hiking DOC Trip

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General Information about Item:

  • Informant: Sean Harmon
  • Location: Hanover, NH
  • Date Collected: 10-28-2021
  • Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual
  • Language: English

Informant Data:

  • Sean is a class of 2025 Dartmouth student.  He was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. While not spending time in the classroom, Sean plays football for the Big Green. While at home in Seattle, Sean likes to spend time outside with his friends. Only being here for one term, Sean does not know what he wants to do after college.

Contextual Data:

  • Cultural Context: The first-year freshman trips are outdoor orientations programs led by returning students. They happen every fall – with exception to last year because of the pandemic. Sean was concerned coming into Dartmouth as he moved across the country to a school where he didn’t know anybody. Therefore, he decided it was best for him to gain friends through this program.
  • Social Context: Coming into Dartmouth, students do not know much about the school and its surrounding nature. To expose it to them, returning students take the freshman on trips so that they can build relationships for their four years as undergrads. Sean did not know what to expect going into it, but he was happy that he experienced the trip.

Item:

  • The Dartmouth Outing Club, or DOC for short, hosts several outings for incoming undergraduate students. Prior to coming to the school, Sean received a survey asking for his trip preferences. “There were many options… hiking, climbing, and mountain biking to horse riding, farming, and cabin-camping” he said while describing the process. Sean considered himself as outdoorsy throughout high school; so, he picked hiking as his first choice. Attached below is a picture that Sean took at the top of his Mount Moosilauke summit. He had this to say about the hike – “this was the most rewarding hike out of the few that we did because it was the hardest. We navigated to the top with no electronics and navigation… it was quite cool.”

Associated file:

Transcript:

  • “My freshman trip was fantastic – I strongly recommend that everyone should experience it. I was fortunate enough that the school brought them back this year after not having them last year because of Covid. I really enjoyed my hiking choice, but I also heard that mountain biking was super fun and thrilling. If I were to do it again, I would probably choose something more out of my comfort zone.”

Informant’s Comments:

  • Sean really enjoyed the trips and suggests that all incoming students go on them. It was a perfect transition from home to school.

Collector’s Comments:

  • I was unable to go on a trip due to conflicts with football. However, the team made changes since I was a freshman, and the players can now attend these trips. I wish I would have attended a trip because Sean really enjoyed it.

Collector’s Name: Ben Keeter

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

Learning Dartmouth Slang

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General Information

Informant: MC

Place: Dartmouth College

Date: October 21st, 2021

Form of Folklore: Verbal Folklore

Title: Dartmouth Dictionary 

Collector: Maria Angelino

Informant Data

The informant is in the 2024 graduating class at Dartmouth and participates in a variety of clubs on campus- including FORT and ABS. She is majoring in Psychology and is looking to do pre-med. She was born and raised in Georgia. She has a little sister and is very close with her family. 

Contextual Data

Social Data: The folklore was collected through an interview with the informant. Throughout her first term at Dartmouth, she learned different abbreviations or made-up words that Dartmouth students used to shorten the title of different buildings, materials, or events. “Dartmouth Slang” is usually learned throughout one’s first term on campus by interacting and having conversations with upperclassmen. The folklore is conducted all the time, in normal conversation or over social media platforms. 

Cultural Data: Dartmouth is located in the very rural, secluded town of Hanover, New Hampshire. The undergraduate population is usually around 4,000 students, and these students normally do not leave the campus often. The nearest big city is Boston, MA, which is two hours away. For this reason, students have created their own bubble within the Dartmouth community and over the years developed a language of their own. 

Transcript: 

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

Informant: “The thing I will never forget about my freshman fall is hearing words that I’ve heard before. I could tell they were abbreviations for things, but I would always have to ask what they meant. BEMA, FFB, FOCO, Frackets, Tails, Lines (for pong), Flitz, Blobby- those were just a few of the many different words Dartmouth students used in casual conversation. Once I learned them, I felt like I had to use them when I was referencing that building or item because that is how everyone else talked about it. I remember talking with family and friends at home about Dartmouth and frequently used the slang, and they would have no idea what I was talking about. They would make fun of it- saying it was a classic “Ivy League Student move”- but I think it is kinda cool that we’ve created our own bubble here. The slang is just one tradition of the many that makes this place so unique. “

Collector’s Comment:

The creation of verbal folklore by the Dartmouth students illustrates a lot about the culture on campus. The small, close-knit community of students developed their own way to talk about their surroundings and things that are specific to life as a Dartmouth student.

Dancing

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General Information

Informant: LH

Place: Dartmouth College

Date: October 13th, 2021

Form of folklore: Customary, dance

Title: Dances at Dartmouth

Collector: Maria Angelino

Informant Data

The informant is a Dartmouth student in the class of 2025. She wishes to remain anonymous.

Contextual Data

Cultural Data: The “The Salty Dog Rag”, among many others, are dance routines taught to freshmen during their First-Year DOC trips. Upperclassman trip leaders and H-Croo leaders tell the freshman they must learn and memorize the dance for future purposes. They often learn it upon first arriving at Dartmouth and on the last day of trips at Moosilauke Lodge. The freshmen barely know each other, but the dances are intended to bypass the awkwardness and help them embrace the unusual customs that Dartmouth students love. 

Social Data: The folklore was collected 2 months after the informant went on their first-year trips. She was interviewed and asked about her experience. 

Transcript: 

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

Informant: “The trip was super important to making me feel more at home. I remember we learned the “Salty Dog Rag” and the one where you are singing in the shower, and there was other fun ones too. It felt very inclusive because nobody knew what they were doing so we were all doing it together. It was a lot of fun trying to come up with how to actually do the dances. I think everyone was super uncomfortable learning the dances, but it really brought us together as a community.”

Collector Comments:

The customary lore of dancing can be very impactful to a culture. In this case, the upperclassmen used dancing as a way to make the freshman feel more connected to the Dartmouth traditions and collective history that the college has. 

Pranks

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General Information

Informant: SW

Place: Dartmouth College

Date: October 12th, 2021

Form of folklore: Customary, ritual

Title: Pranks on Trips

Collector: Maria Angelino

Informant Data

The informant is a Dartmouth student in the class of 2022. She was born in Florida and is majoring in Women’s Genders Studies with a minor in Sociology. She works with the athletics department in management and social media skills, and is also affiliated with a sorority on campus.

Contextual Data

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 freshman 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 then are sent into the wilderness of New Hampshire. Throughout this whole period, the freshmen do not have access to their phone 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: This item was collected through a face to face interview of the informant. It had been 4 years since the occurrence of the folklore, but she says she still remembers it vividly. 

Item

Pranks are pulled throughout the duration of the trip by the trip leaders to keep their “tripees” on their toes and provide comedic relief. One of these pranks is informing the freshman that they are on a landing strip and an airplane needs to land immediately, requiring them to move quickly to avoid being hit by the plane. 

Transcript: 

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

Informant: “The pranks were definitely the most memorable. They pranked us with an emergency plane landing. They told us we were on an emergency landing strip and some plane needed to come in right away. We had just been pranked with the “Robert Frost Ashes” so we didn’t really believe it, but then we saw it coming and it looked really realistic. In reality, it was just people with flashlights on top of a truck and they were coming down a hill. They brought us brownies afterwards, we were definitely fooled though. The trip leaders were super enthusiastic about everything we did, even if the pranks seemed far fetched. It was reassuring to have upperclassmen seem so excited about being with us in the middle of the woods.” 

Collector’s Comment:

The tradition of Freshman year trips sets the foundation for freshman as they enter into an entire new environment. This simulated rites of passage by physically separating the freshman from their parents upon arriving to Dartmouth, transitioning into independence through the trip itself, and being incorporated into the college community when they get back to campus and classes start. Having upperclassmen lead the freshmen on the trips is a form of guidance and expertise that make the freshman feel more comfortable.