Liliana Ciraulo

Beyond the Classroom

At Dartmouth, there are 150+ student clubs to participate in - meaning that there is something for everyone! From The Dartmouth to the Mock Trial Society, student organizations foster community and belonging across campus. Below, I present a mini-tour of various clubs, teams, and organizations that Dartmouth has to offer its student body!

Performance groups, such as Fusion Dance Ensemble, The Dartmouth Aires, and Casual Thursday, love to put on shows throughout each term at Dartmouth. Oftentimes two groups will pair up and perform together, usually in one of the Greek spaces on campus or inside of Collis (Collis Center for Student Involvement). In my own performance group, Ujima Dance Troupe, I've been lucky enough to perform in shows with other dance groups and a cappella groups, at which crowds enjoy a variety of entertainment. Performance groups usually hold auditions at the beginning of the fall term - but there are sometimes exceptions. It's also very popular for students to join performance groups during the summer term, when groups typically accept more students (since there are less students on campus overall during the summer). I'm personally very excited for the upcoming summer term and seeing new faces in the performance groups! I also may be biased in saying so, but I'd highly recommend any incoming Dartmouth student to audition for some of these eclectic and talented groups on campus!

Sports teams, whether varsity, club, or intramural, are communities for about 75% of Dartmouth students! Dartmouth boasts 34 D1 varsity and 35 club teams for men's and women's sports – and, many groups of friends love to play intramural, too. Some of the most popular intramural sports are pickleball in the fall, and ice hockey in the winter! Last term, some members of my sorority played on an intramural ice hockey team and they had so much fun playing, despite some not even knowing how to skate at first. I myself am not incredibly athletic, meaning I don't plan to play any sports any time soon - but I have thoroughly enjoyed attending sporting events throughout my terms at Dartmouth thus far, from varsity men's soccer to club figure skating!

Housing communities are, quite literally, home for Dartmouth students. Upon arrival as a first year, every Dartmouth student is placed into one of six housing communities - kind of like Hogwarts. These communities typically correspond to varying dorm clusters around campus. For instance, a student placed into West House might live in the River Cluster, or a student placed into North Park House might live in the McLaughlin Cluster. Housing communities program numerous events per term, from a School House merchandise drop to an Allen House community dinner (hint hint: free food!); every event, in my experience, is welcoming and a great way to meet new people living around you. It's completely up to you on how much to engage with your housing community, but I personally encourage doing so!

You might commonly hear that the Dartmouth Outing Club (or, DOC) is the oldest and largest collegiate outing club in the country - and it's true! Since being founded in 1909, the DOC is one of the most popular organizations through which Dartmouth students engage with the outdoors. Under the DOC are various sub-clubs, such as Ledyard Canoe Club, Ski Patrol, and Cabin & Trail. Here at Dartmouth, we love to get outdoors, and the DOC ensures equitable access to it - even if you're not a registered member of the DOC, you may still use equipment, go on trips, and stay at cabins. First-year trips - which I highly recommend - is also programmed through the DOC. For many of us, the Upper Valley is a brand-new environment, and the DOC does a fantastic job at making the transition less stressful and more exciting & enjoyable.

Greek Life is one of the many social spaces for Dartmouth students to take part in! Here, 2/3s of eligible students (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) participate in Greek Life. First-years are not allowed to participate in Greek Life – and, for the first six weeks of their first fall term, first-years cannot enter Greek spaces, either. In my personal experience, this allowed me to find community and belonging in other spaces, such as my dance troupe and Indigenous community, before deciding whether or not to pursue Greek Life. A huge reason why I decided to join was because of the upperclassmen I met in my dance troupe, who had nothing but positive things to say about their houses. Greek houses typically put on events two to three times every week – and, even if you're not affiliated with any of them, they are open to campus as long as you show your Dartmouth ID. Dartmouth's Greek Life system is very open, which I especially appreciate as I have friends who are affiliated and unaffiliated – and I enjoy being able to share these spaces with all of them!

Finally, Dartmouth offers countless clubs and organizations for students to take part in! These groups range from pre-professional, to culture-specific, to academic competition! Personally, I spend my time with Hōkūpaʻa (Pan-Pasifika group) and Native Americans at Dartmouth. I'm also part of the Undergraduate Sudoku Society, the Minority Pre-Law Association, Humans of Dartmouth (based on Humans of New York!), and AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society). But, there are so many more groups to explore beyond these! One of my favorite things about Dartmouth is the variety of activities available. If you come to Dartmouth seeking, say, a poetry club or a group to surf with – you'll find it! Whatever you're interested in, Dartmouth either already has a club/organization, or they're willing to help you create one yourself.

At Dartmouth, the possibilities are endless. (See here for a more in-depth look at creating your own club on campus!) Personally, I'm always looking for something new to try out – so, maybe next time you hear from me, I'll have a new club membership to report! Until then, I hope you've enjoyed this introduction to groups on campus!