The Baker Bell Tower will be green next weekend for Homecoming 2012, October 26 through 28.
Some of Dartmouth’s most cherished traditions—the parade, bonfire, and football game—as well as a slate of intellectual and cultural activities, will take place in Hanover.
“Homecoming weekend is an important touchstone for many alumni,” says Vice President for Alumni Relations Martha Beattie ’76. “We hope to have a huge turnout for the wide range of programming offered.”
On October 26, Dartmouth Night festivities will begin with the annual parade, which travels along Lebanon and Main streets before circling the Green. Following the parade, President Carol L. Folt, Beattie, and Director of Athletics Harry Sheehy will be among the speakers addressing Dartmouth students and alumni from the steps of Dartmouth Hall. Football captain Patrick Lahey ’12 and field hockey captain Maya Herm ’13 will also speak.
Following the speeches, the bonfire will be ignited, continuing a tradition that dates back to 1888. The top of the bonfire will be adorned with the number “16,” welcoming the Class of 2016 to their first Dartmouth Night.
“Homecoming is a special weekend when Dartmouth honors its exceptional community, traditions, and alumni,” says Sheehy. “I know our student-athletes will compete in a way that makes the Dartmouth family proud.”
Events on campus include a lecture by President Emeritus James Wright and Dartmouth Trustee Nathaniel Fick ’99, a tour of the new Black Family Visual Arts Center, and a number of athletic contests throughout the weekend. A full lineup of Homecoming activities is available on the Alumni Relations website.
The night football game against Harvard will kick off at 5 p.m. at Memorial Field.
“Homecoming has always been a unique experience at Dartmouth,” says Lahey. “Students, alumni, friends, and family unite from all walks of life to celebrate the vibrant tradition of this great college.”
Herm says she is looking forward to this year’s homecoming, and returning to campus in the years ahead.
“I look at this year’s homecoming as a special moment in the final stages of my career at Dartmouth,” she says. “I know that at future homecomings I will still carry the bond that I have created with this school.”