Lauren Groulx

Shipping Down to Cambridge

Recently, I traveled to Cambridge, Massachusetts to watch the Harvard vs Dartmouth football game!

I had never been to Boston or Cambridge before, so when my West House (my housing community) professor sent out an email about signing up for this trip, I pounced on the opportunity. 

I'm a big sports fan, so I was incredibly excited for the chance to root on the Big Green and spend a Saturday afternoon exploring a new area.

I met with other members of West House outside of Fahey Hall at around 12:00 PM, and we were on our way! Our lovely resident fellows and other members of the West House team passed out wraps and cookies from Lou's (a restaurant in Hanover) for lunch, and I enjoyed chatting with my peers and watching the beautiful fall foliage pass outside the large windows of our coach. 

When we arrived in Cambridge, I was surprised to see a sea of green tailgating next to Harvard Stadium. I knew that there were a lot of Dartmouth alumni in Boston, but I wasn't expecting there to be so many at the football game.

After being transferred our online tickets, my friends and I ventured toward the tailgate to meet alumni. Everyone we talked to was delighted to meet a group of '27s. They were extremely welcoming, offering us snacks while reminiscing on their college years and sharing advice about Dartmouth.

While I was in line waiting to go into the stadium, I had the chance to meet a Harvard alum who also grew up in Michigan. We bonded over transitioning from the Midwest to the Northeast, and he even (reluctantly) reciprocated my "Go Big Green!" 

I was also able to meet up with some of my Dartmouth friends who had traveled independently to the game, which was great! Everyone agreed that the trip was nice, but we missed being able to recognize nearly everyone we saw on the street and say "Hello!"

I love the community aspect of Dartmouth, and I think the housing communities do a great job of fostering this element of the college. Trips, like this one to Cambridge, allow West House students to make new memories together and strengthen friendships with each other.

On the late night bus ride back to Hanover, I spent some more time getting to know fellow members of West House and listening to their stories about the term so far. West House provided pizza for dinner, and I had a lengthy discussion about different regional styles of pizza with students from across the country!

There were a lot of Dartmouth supporters at the game, so it was fun to cheer along with them. And although the Big Green didn't leave Cambridge with a win, I still had a good time at the game. I'm so grateful for the opportunities Dartmouth has available to me, and can't wait to go on more West House trips soon.