Hey!! I'm Eloise and this is my blog! I'm a '28 from New Holland, Pennsylvania. I love to read and write in my free time and I'm so excited to get involved in clubs at Dartmouth. I love exploring the outdoors and I can't wait to go on more trips with the Dartmouth Outing Club. I hope you enjoy my blog!
At Dartmouth, students are sorted into one of six housing communities: North Park, Allen, East Wheelock, School, South, and West House. As a resident of the first-year dorm French Hall, I am in West House.
And I am a proud West House resident! I may be biased, but—in my opinion—West House is hands-down the best house!
For Homecoming, all housing communities host a "spirit station" before the annual bonfire celebration, where first-year students walk a lap around the bonfire as a class. West House's spirit station took place in Fahey, a large common room in a West House dorm.
The spirit station is meant to get first-year students hyped for the bonfire and all decked out in West House merch and colors. West's color is purple, so most kids wore purple face paint!
West House's color is purple, so at the station, there were purple necklaces, glowsticks, and winter hats (which I really needed cause I did not bring one when I moved in). There were even purple foam fingers stating, "West House is the best house," which it is!
Me in my West House merch!!
The spirit station was also well stocked with free food. I had so much pizza! This event was such a fun way to reconnect with the people I haven't seen in a while and hang out with the people I see every day.
From the spirit station, West House first-years are picked up in "the sweep", which is basically a parade you join on your way to the bonfire. We walked all around campus, picking up more first-years with each stop. After making a full loop around campus, we arrived at the bonfire.
The bonfire was such an awesome experience! After walking around the fire, we went to a concert at Dartmouth Hall and had food at FoCo late-night!
The band setting up for the concert at Dartmouth Hall.
The next day was the homecoming football game. West House threw a tailgate before the game. It was so much fun! They had donuts and breakfast sandwiches, which were delicious. Inside Fahey, they had so much free West House merch. I got two new sweatshirts and two pairs of sweatpants.
After the tailgate, all my West House friends and I went to the football game together. It was the first game I went to the whole season, and it was so much fun, even if it was freezing!
Me, Molly, Vannessa, and fellow blogger Reece at the Homecoming Game!!
Overall, my homecoming weekend was so much fun, mostly because of West House. I loved experiencing these Dartmouth traditions with my roommate and West House friends! It was truly the best experience because West House is the best house!
Dartmouth is not just a college. With world-renowned graduate schools, why would we choose to call ourselves a college instead of a university? The story behind that decision dates back to a significant Supreme Court ruling.
On a quiet spring Saturday in Hanover, I traded the usual campus buzz for Monet in the morning and archery in the afternoon—a reminder that Dartmouth weekends can be just as meaningful when they're slow, reflective, and a little unexpected.
During my sophomore spring quarter, I took on the challenge of four STEM courses, and while it has been intense, the unexpected connections across subjects and the joy of learning have made it one of my most rewarding academic experiences yet.
Read about the Sophomore Summer Soiree and how I got to witness the beginning of something that hopefully grows into a long-standing Dartmouth tradition!
Here is my list of the restaurants in Hanover within walking distance of Dartmouth. Whether you're touring campus for the first time or are a Dartmouth student in need of a new place to eat, feel free to reference this list!
As I approach the end of my first year at Dartmouth, I would like to reflect on some of the experiences and lessons I've learned throughout this school year.
