Hi everyone! I'm Kabir, an international member of the class of '26, from New Delhi, India. I'm thinking of majoring in Psychology and Film & Media Studies. Outside the classroom, I enjoy watching movies, going on hikes, hanging out with my friends, and going on runs (if you see me on the streets of Hanover, say hi!) In the short while I've been here, I've come to love Dartmouth, so if you're interested in what I have to say, stick around! This should (hopefully) be fun :)
Maybe it's being in the middle of nowhere. Maybe it's four thousand souls trying to find ways to bond. Maybe it's just a way of living. Dartmouth etymology is something that is truly a wonder to behold — a thing of beauty, if you will. It's confusing, it's a god-send, and it is sacrilegious to not follow (blasphemy!) If you are coming to Dartmouth this fall, or planning on applying next fall, here are some common terms that you will (definitely) encounter, or that could help your application stand out whenever you do choose to apply!
FoCo
FoCo is the 1953 House of Commons, also known as the place that Dartmouth students eat. It's the biggest dining hall, and you'll find pretty much everything your culinary heart desires over there. Calling it the '1953 House of Commons' though, is plain wrong. FoCo (someone once said it's short for Food Court, but that has never been confirmed.) Also read: 'Fookie' — the famed cookies found at FoCo, gooey but hard, chocolatey yet not overly sweet. Perfection.
Blobby, and the 'FB's
Dartmouth's most iconic Baker-Berry library hosts a cornucopia of information, and ways to refer to the multi-story building. Blobby is the Baker-lobby, or the entrance into Baker Berry. Then there are the FBs — FFB (the first floor of Berry): not a good place to study, but a good place to not study; 2FB (the second floor of Berry): slightly more serious than FFB, but still pretty loud; 3FB (the third floor of Berry): when you have to grind for finals, this is your best bet; 4FB (the fourth floor of Berry): even a pin-drop would be considered too much noise here. Do with all that information what you may.
Blitzes
Blitzes are e-mails at Dartmouth. The reason is apparently because before we switched to G-mail, Dartmouth students used a server called Blitz Mail. Also read: 'Flitzes' are flirty blitzes; 'fritzes' are friendly blitzes — you will encounter many during your time at Dartmouth!
The Buildings
Dartmouth's buildings are definitely named interesting things: Robinson Hall, the home of The Dartmouth (Dartmouth's newspaper)and the Dartmouth Outing Club, is famously called 'RoBo'; South House's centre is called 'The Onion' because of its weirdly cool shape; Allen and School House's centre is called 'The Cube' because … it's shaped like a cube?
Woccom
Saving my favorite one for last. Going on a woccom is one of my favorite hobbies, and was a life saver during fall term. A woccom is going on a walk around Dartmouth's Occom Pond — a portmanteau of the words 'Walk' and 'Occom'. Genius. Some might say it's the Dartmouth difference. They wouldn't be wrong.
These words help define the Dartmouth experience. They make you feel like you're a part of a community of like-minded people who like to work hard, play hard, and portmanteau hard.
It's hard to fully express just how meaningful Cabin and Trail (CnT) is to me. Since coming to Dartmouth a year and a half ago, this community has shaped me in ways I never expected. It is a source of hope and a new home.
When I first came to Dartmouth, the last thing I wanted to experience was the infamous, chilling New England winter—but I've discovered that Dartmouth's climate was a blessing in disguise, and even perhaps my favorite thing about campus.
