In addition to our regular content, which I hope to write more about once I get back to school, I will be writing about Dartmouth's forgotten societies. Students throughout Dartmouth's history have created societies and clubs, ranging from Dartmouth's first literary society, the Society of Social Friends, to the recent colonization of the Kappa Delta sorority. Our two longest lived organizations on campus are Psi U and Tri-Kap, both of which were founded in 1842. However not all clubs have made it through the years and I hope to focus on a few interesting examples.
Next post will detail the history of Asgard, a society that could have become Dartmouth's third undergraduate society, but somehow didn't make the cut.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Ghost stories
Besides the tales of Doc Benton that are used to scare freshmen on their DOC trips, there don't seem to be many ghost stories around the Dartmouth campus. I'm not quite sure why this is as there are many old buildings on campus and in Hanover, and we have a cemetery right in the middle of the campus.
However, if you are interested in learning more about ghost stories in Hanover, check out this article from the 2004 alumni magazine.
However, if you are interested in learning more about ghost stories in Hanover, check out this article from the 2004 alumni magazine.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Another Dartmouth history blog
If you're interested in learning more about Dartmouth history, the Rauner Library blog has a great collection of Dartmouth and New Hampshire related posts. I've enjoyed reading about all sorts of topics from the story of why Dartmouth's color is green to a description of the first commencement. It's an invaluable resource for anyone looking to learn more about Dartmouth history.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Lest the Old Traditions Fail?
As time goes on, it is only natural that some traditions fade away and are replaced by others. In terms of Winter Carnival, the polar bear swim has replaced the Psi U keg jump, which itself replaced the ski jump on the golf course, but the Snow Sculpture has remained the constant centerpiece of Winter Carnival.
Unfortunately, despite the massive amounts of snow this year, the 2011 snow sculpture was merely adequate. Compare the 1972 snow sculpture with this the one from this year.
Snow Sculpture - 2011
While during the last two years the conditions for the Snow Sculpture were less than ideal (it was unseasonably warm in 2009 and in there was not enough snow in 2010), this year presented a great opportunity to build an impressive snow sculpture.
I don't know why there is less participation than in days past. While it's easy to blame general student laziness, I think the reason is a bit more complicated. The last two years of small snow sculptures have made it so the majority of students on campus don't feel any connection to building the snow sculpture. The active, enthusiastic freshman in 2009 is now an apathetic junior, and has gone 3 years now without working on the snow sculpture. It's a pity, but in this day of Facebook and Youtube, it takes work to get people interested in working outside. Hopefully, the next few years will see a renewal in interest in the snow sculpture, or the snow sculpture could disappear forever.
Unfortunately, despite the massive amounts of snow this year, the 2011 snow sculpture was merely adequate. Compare the 1972 snow sculpture with this the one from this year.
Snow Sculpture - 2011
While during the last two years the conditions for the Snow Sculpture were less than ideal (it was unseasonably warm in 2009 and in there was not enough snow in 2010), this year presented a great opportunity to build an impressive snow sculpture.
I don't know why there is less participation than in days past. While it's easy to blame general student laziness, I think the reason is a bit more complicated. The last two years of small snow sculptures have made it so the majority of students on campus don't feel any connection to building the snow sculpture. The active, enthusiastic freshman in 2009 is now an apathetic junior, and has gone 3 years now without working on the snow sculpture. It's a pity, but in this day of Facebook and Youtube, it takes work to get people interested in working outside. Hopefully, the next few years will see a renewal in interest in the snow sculpture, or the snow sculpture could disappear forever.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Life Goes to a Party
In the past, Dartmouth's Winter Carnival used to be known as the Nation's premier winter party. Hundreds of girls from college all over the north-east would come to Dartmouth's winter wonderland for an exciting weekend of parties, dancing, and winter sports.
Skier Dick Dorrance flies through the air as part of the Ski Jump Contest
In 1937, Life magazine, as part of its regular feature "Life Goes to a Party", visited Winter Carnival, and took pictures of the festivities.
The last Snow Queen was crowned in 1972, the same year coeducation began
No Dartmouth Weekend is complete without a proper dance party
While some things have changed, (there are no more tuxedo balls anymore, or a Winter Carnival Queen for example) some things remain the same. Amazingly, AD still remains one of the top socials spots on campus, although the boys in 1937 didn't have the Animal House mystique.
I wonder when the fraternities stopped having tuxedo balls? Certainly, no fraternity dressed up in white tie for formal today.
Another tradition that seems to have fallen by the wayside is the Snow Sculpture contest held by the Fraternities each year. I know that Fraternities still made sculptures up until the mid-80s, (Sig-Nu got in trouble in 1985 for their sculpture of a woman's breast being pierced by a sword) but by the 90s the tradition had died out. Unfortunately, apathy, not change, proves to be the enemy of most Dartmouth traditions.
You can look at the Complete articles here:
Life Magazine: February 22, 1937
Skier Dick Dorrance flies through the air as part of the Ski Jump Contest
In 1937, Life magazine, as part of its regular feature "Life Goes to a Party", visited Winter Carnival, and took pictures of the festivities.
The last Snow Queen was crowned in 1972, the same year coeducation began
No Dartmouth Weekend is complete without a proper dance party
While some things have changed, (there are no more tuxedo balls anymore, or a Winter Carnival Queen for example) some things remain the same. Amazingly, AD still remains one of the top socials spots on campus, although the boys in 1937 didn't have the Animal House mystique.
I wonder when the fraternities stopped having tuxedo balls? Certainly, no fraternity dressed up in white tie for formal today.
Another tradition that seems to have fallen by the wayside is the Snow Sculpture contest held by the Fraternities each year. I know that Fraternities still made sculptures up until the mid-80s, (Sig-Nu got in trouble in 1985 for their sculpture of a woman's breast being pierced by a sword) but by the 90s the tradition had died out. Unfortunately, apathy, not change, proves to be the enemy of most Dartmouth traditions.
You can look at the Complete articles here:
Life Magazine: February 22, 1937
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Dartmouth Songs
Searching around on the internet, I found out that the Office of Alumni Relations has an online booklet with the lyrics of many Dartmouth songs.
You can find it here:
Alumni Songbook
The Class of 1965 website has recordings of many of the tunes featured in the booklet. The recordings are from a 1965 record by the Glee Club which was sold at James Campion's shop.
This is the link:
Reflections of Dartmouth LP
It's great that this record is now preserved in mp3 format and now available for all.
You can find it here:
Alumni Songbook
The Class of 1965 website has recordings of many of the tunes featured in the booklet. The recordings are from a 1965 record by the Glee Club which was sold at James Campion's shop.
This is the link:
Reflections of Dartmouth LP
It's great that this record is now preserved in mp3 format and now available for all.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Orientation - 1947
Even as I write this post, Dartmouth's newest class, the '14s, have been arriving in Hanover to embark upon their freshman Outing Club trips and enjoy the great outdoors. Here we have a video from the Dartmouth archives chronicling orientation in 1947.
1947 was the first "normal" year at Dartmouth following World War II, and Dartmouth enrolled a record number of students that year.
As soon as the video starts, I was amazed to see the students stepping off the bus in jackets and ties, and the students were similarly dressed in the classroom. Nary a t-shirt to be seen throughout the whole film.
There are some nice shots of Main Street, including the now long-gone Campion's haberdashery, and the College Bookstore.
One "tradition" that I was amazed to see was that freshman, wearing their beanies, were required to help upperclassmen with their luggage at the beginning of the year. I can't imagine something like that happening today, but the thought of the unlucky '14s carrying my boxes around is not a bad one.
The video also shows a model for a performing arts center which would have stood where the Hopkins Center stands today. Designed along the lines of Webster Hall, personally I would have preferred it to the modernistic and ugly Hop.
The video ends with scenes from the famous Freshman trips, although the trips of yesteryear feature a lot more flannel and a lot less flair that those of today. However the point of the trips is the same; to introduce them to the wonderful countryside of New Hampshire and to welcome students to the best college in America
1947 was the first "normal" year at Dartmouth following World War II, and Dartmouth enrolled a record number of students that year.
As soon as the video starts, I was amazed to see the students stepping off the bus in jackets and ties, and the students were similarly dressed in the classroom. Nary a t-shirt to be seen throughout the whole film.
There are some nice shots of Main Street, including the now long-gone Campion's haberdashery, and the College Bookstore.
One "tradition" that I was amazed to see was that freshman, wearing their beanies, were required to help upperclassmen with their luggage at the beginning of the year. I can't imagine something like that happening today, but the thought of the unlucky '14s carrying my boxes around is not a bad one.
The video also shows a model for a performing arts center which would have stood where the Hopkins Center stands today. Designed along the lines of Webster Hall, personally I would have preferred it to the modernistic and ugly Hop.
The video ends with scenes from the famous Freshman trips, although the trips of yesteryear feature a lot more flannel and a lot less flair that those of today. However the point of the trips is the same; to introduce them to the wonderful countryside of New Hampshire and to welcome students to the best college in America
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