Chidera Duru

This was my first time ever celebrating Halloween! Even though the end of October can be a stressful time in the term as most students are taking midterms in various classes, the campus still had an indescribable atmosphere of excitement for Halloween. The dining hall was AMAZINGLY decorated with Halloween-themed meals. Everyone from students to Dartmouth Dining Services staff as well as the staff at the Covid testing center was wearing a costume. There were trivia games, game nights, concerts, dance parties and movie nights all weekend organized by various campus organizations.

My friends and I took the Dartmouth Coach down to Boston to watch the football game. Getting to Boston from Hanover is super convenient! The Dartmouth Coach is a bus service that connects Dartmouth to Boston and New York City. It leaves from just in front of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, so it’s conveniently located right at the center of campus. When we got to Boston, we did some sight-seeing and had brunch together. It was exciting leaving campus and getting back into the bustle of city life, but it also really made me appreciate the calmness of Hanover.

I had never watched American football before coming to Dartmouth, so this was the second football game I ever attended and this time around I was quite determined to actually understand the game. So, the night before I left for Boston, I googled the basic rules of football and basically tried to familiarize myself with the general concept of the game. It totally paid off! I had such a fun time, and I can’t wait for the next game!

One of the best things about Dartmouth is that there is always some fun activity to look forward to. It might look like some random small town in the middle of the woods, but it’s really a community of people who love being here and make the best out of their time here.

The homecoming bonfire on the green was one of the first traditions I heard about when I started my college search in the summer of 2019. It’s so surreal to think that I finally got to experience it in-person for the first time! During the bonfire, the entire class does at least one lap around the bonfire, with upperclassmen and alumni surrounding it. One thing you might not notice from pictures of the bonfire is that there are large rectangular wooden boards built into it. On the days leading up to the bonfire, the boards are laid out for students to come sign their names on them. Knowing that your name is a part of the bonfire and being surrounded by older students and alumni really makes you feel a deep connection to the Dartmouth community.

Dartmouth welcomes so many alumni back home each year for Homecoming weekend. It was so amazing meeting and talking with alumni who were at Dartmouth as far back as the 70s. Even after being away for several years if not decades, you can tell that they feel very much connected to the school and thoroughly enjoyed their time here. The Classes of 1970 and 1971 actually celebrated their 50-year anniversaries this year and so many members of the class who were on the school's football team were so excited to watch the traditional Homecoming football game.

I got to watch my first American football game this weekend. So many Dartmouth students, alumni, friends and family came to support our football team in their homecoming game against yale. Being surrounded by my friends and other Dartmouth students cheering on our team was awesome! Although I’m not sure I entirely understand the game just yet, it was an such an exciting experience, and I’m definitely looking forward to going to more games!