Green Key Weekend!
"Dear old Dartmouth sets a watch, lest the old traditions fail."-Alma Mater.
Green Key is definitely one of the "old traditions" on campus. So, you may ask, what is Green Key? Well, it is an annual program that features live music, free food, and other great ways to celebrate the arrival of spring.
For the student body at Dartmouth, Green Key undoubtedly lives up to the hype. From the food trucks sponsored by Dartmouth to the free swag handed out that started days before the Green Key main concert, Green Key weekend is a culmination of camaraderie and fun. The main event is the concert that takes place at the Golden Coast Lawn on Friday evening. The concert started with student DJs Vivachae, and then followed by Young M.A and Shaggy.
Other than the main concert, there were a lot of other activities, free food, and concerts happening throughout the weekend! Before the main concert, there were artists performing in front of Collis, our student center. On Saturday night, we also welcomed performances by The Ballroom Thieves and National Park Radio at Collis After Dark.
While many at Dartmouth immerse themselves in the vibrant mosaic of concerts, the weekend also unfolds with quieter, equally enriching pursuits. For those of us less drawn to crowded scenes, it offers moments of retreat and reflection. Opting out of the main concert's sonic boom, my friends and I found solace in the chords and melodies of the guitar.
Later, a stroll to the Connecticut River allowed us to step into a painting of the evening: the sunset draped the water in strokes of gold and amber, and the gentle breeze carried our conversations into the night. It was here, in the hush of twilight, that we delved into the deeper currents of our lives—our fears, our dreams, and our evolving senses of self. This communion, shared under the vast, indigo sky, brought a closeness that only such serene settings can foster.
The tranquility continued into Saturday, marked by the simple pleasures of free smoothies from Phi Tau, a gender-inclusive Greek space, free indulgent ice cream from Ben & Jerry's, and a delightful dinner at a local Spanish restaurant. Each of these moments was an invitation to nurture the bonds we had begun to cultivate the night before, allowing us to drift deeper into the quiet joy of shared experiences.
This rich diversity of moments, whether filled with the echo of music or the soft murmur of river waters, affirms that there is no singular "quintessential" Dartmouth experience. Whether reveling in the heart of the festivities or finding solace in quieter gatherings, each path we choose contributes uniquely to the rich mosaic of our college lives. Each student, in navigating these hallowed traditions, discovers their own ways to celebrate and cherish the spirit of Green Key, crafting memories woven from the threads of human connection and the intimate contours of personal journeys.