One perfect day in Hanover
Go ahead. Have a perfect day. There’s no doubt about it. Dartmouth is distinguished by a profound sense of place. And it’s not just the pastoral Dartmouth Green, the iconic architecture, or our dramatic setting in the pines. We are steps from one of the most vibrant college towns in the country. Arts. Nature. Ideas. Unforgettable ice cream. They’re all part of Hanover’s beguiling charm. In these pages, Dartmouth students share their favorite spots on and around campus, giving you an insider’s edge into what’s fabulous and where you can find it. Tap their suggestions to make one perfect day of your own. Enjoy! Lee A. Coffin Vice Provost for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid
Kaj Johnson ’22 Hometown: Minneapolis, MN Major: Undecided
7:00 am Occom Pond Out for a run around Occom Pond. I love seeing runners, bikers, and walkers sharing the serenity and natural beauty. In autumn, the willow trees around the pond sway gorgeously in the wind. And once it freezes over, I’ll be among the first in line to try out my skating skills.
10:00 am Rauner Special Collections Library If they can’t find me during the day, my friends know where I’m at: Rauner Library. The architecture and the natural light from its tall windows are dazzling and its couches are cozy. I go there when I have a break to get my head into my next class.
4:00 pm Norwich, VT Late afternoon rendezvous with the Triathlon Team. We train several times a week for Olympic distance events, half Ironmans, duathlons. Today, a run to Norwich. It’s a quaint town, totally removed from the nonstop pace of Hanover—really a special place.
7:45 pm Paddock Music Library There’s a great feeling of camaraderie and acceptance at Dartmouth, and I have plenty of chances to be social, but when I really want to concentrate, I head to Paddock. It’s a little-known oasis, and I cherish the silence and the deep roots of music I find there. Don’t tell anyone!
11:15 pm Dartmouth Hall A clear night, so stargazing is a priority. My favorite spot is out in front of Dartmouth Hall. Our remote location in the Upper Valley gives us a view of the constellations that I could never get back in Minneapolis. Definitely one of the perks of being here.
Baker Library/Tower Room Whether looking out on a bright morning or a snowy twilight, the Tower Room at Baker Library offers captivating views of the Dartmouth Green. Its deep armchairs are student favorites for study, contemplation, and creative exploration.
6:45 am Alumni Gymnasium I start my day with a jog across campus, then a stint at the gym. The exercise and peaceful views really clear my brain. Since my classes this term don’t start till after 10, I have plenty of time to fit in a workout and grab breakfast before heading to class.
11:00 am Dana Biomedical Sciences Library Team project meeting at Dana Library. Dana was recently renovated into a very modern space with study rooms, sun lamps, rolling whiteboards, and big windows for admiring the falling snow in winter. It’s something of a hidden gem mostly frequented by med students.
12:30 pm Dirt Cowboy Café Need to wrap my head around a paper due Friday. First step: a walk into town for a pastry and coffee at the Dirt Cowboy Café. The cafes on campus are great, but the Cowboy has both its boots in the wider world, always crammed with people of every age and stripe.
5:15 pm Connecticut River I head over to the river—the Connecticut River, that is. During freshmen orientation, a friend and I jumped from a rope swing into the water, which was just cold enough to be refreshing. Now, it’s my go-to spot for studying, canoeing, and tanning on the docks.
8:00 pm FoCo My favorite spot to grab a meal is the Class of ’53 Commons. Over the years, it’s picked up the nickname “FoCo,” and there’s definitely a bustle and hustle about it. Some of my staples are the sweet potatoes, salmon, and the world-famous FoCo cookies.
Jenny Chen ’21 Hometown: Bethesda, MD Major: Biology and Quantitative Social Science
Winter Carnival Since 1911, the Dartmouth community has gathered to celebrate winter with an action-packed weekend devoted to everything that makes the season thrilling. From skiing and skating, to ice sculpture contests and human dogsled races, Winter Carnival is one reason Dartmouth students develop a passion for winter.
Rafael Rosas ’20 Hometown: San Diego, CA Major: Engineering
7:45 am King Arthur Flour (KAF) Seriously. My day does not start until I’ve had my first Iced Americano. No exceptions. Ever. So, my first stop after leaving my dorm every morning is KAF. Oh, and this: if you bring your own mug, you get a discount.
10:00 am Orozco Mural Room It’s incredible that the largest work of one of the most renowned artists of my native country is here in New England in my own school’s library. Whenever I need a recharge—like now—I make for the Orozco Mural Room.
2:30 pm Thayer School of Engineering In a huddle with an engineering project team on the couches in the atrium of Thayer. I work, eat, and have been known to sleep on these couches. And it’s a great place for informal meetings because we’re all headed through the atrium on our way to and from classes.
6:15 pm Hood Museum Meeting my friend at the African Art exhibition. Thanks to the Hood, the Hopkins Center, the Black Family Visual Arts Center, and all the other venues on campus, we’re surrounded by world-class art.
7:30 pm Winter Carnival On our way to dinner, we check out the crazy creations that students are making for the ice sculpture contest. My first Winter Carnival was also the first winter of my life and the first time I ever went sledding. I don’t think I’d ever before felt that pure, childlike, gleeful joy.
Black Family Visual Arts Center One of Dartmouth’s most vibrant arts communities, the Black Family Visual Arts Center is packed with art galleries, production studios, classrooms, and a film screening room. It’s the headquarters for the Studio Arts Department, Film & Media Studies, and Digital Humanities—and a magnet for campus creatives.
7:45 am Bartlett Hall Chinese class at Bartlett Hall. Last semester, I had a rough start in Chinese 1, but in week seven, I aced one of my dictations for the first time. Okay, the tests were only 5% of my final grade, but it felt incredible to achieve something I first thought impossible.
12:15 pm Moosilauke Ravine Lodge I head up to Dartmouth’s Moosilauke Ravine Lodge with a small group for an environmental studies project. Nature is the best de-stressing zone there is. By the way, the Dartmouth Outing Club has a Cabin and Trail division responsible for maintaining 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail…if you like a challenge.
6:00 pm The Hopkins Center for the Arts Marching band practice at The Hop—the center of all things cultural. Friends give me intrigued looks when I talk about the band, but it’s a fun group. No experience required. I actually learned to play my first instrument—the Glockenspiel— after I joined. Now, I’m fixated on cool musical instruments.
8:30 pm Courtyard Café Band practice is always followed by dinner in the Courtyard Cafe. My recommendation: tender Queso, double salsa, fries. Afterwards, I often duck into the music library at the HOP for peace and inspiration.
9:30 pm Collis Center for Student Involvement Collis is a sort of campus magnet. Tonight, I’m meeting friends from the Dartmouth Brazil Society here to revel in all things home. Last term, some friends and I ran a tabletop roleplaying game table at Collis every Friday night. It actually turned out to be amazing.
Guilherme “Gui” Marinho ’22 Hometown: Curitiba, Brazil Major: Undecided
Organic Farm Students enjoy Dartmouth’s 220-acre organic farm for exploration, research, and the outright splendor of its setting. The O-Farm is also home to sustainability initiatives that need room to spread out, like the solar-disinfecting latrine designed to meet sanitation challenges in the developing world.
Catherine Parnell ’22 Hometown: Houston, TX Major: Quantitative Social Science
7:30 am Dartmouth Green I walk through the Dartmouth Green every day on my way to class, even if it makes the trip longer. I love the view of the lawns and the architecture— and the life of the campus. It’s never quite the same two days in a row. The seasons, the people are always changing.
11:45 am Moore Hall On my way to a meeting with my faculty mentor on the Women in Science Project (WISP). The internship gives me authentic research experience, which I’ll present at a professional symposium. WISP plunges you into the real work of a scientist from your earliest days on campus.
1:30 pm McLaughlin Cluster The stir fry at FoCo is calling me, but my friend is craving a grain bowl from The Box Food Truck, a great Dartmouth student startup, so we head there first, then over to McLaughlin Cluster to put our feet up, eat lunch, and study for the 3 o’clock anthro class we have together.
5:15 pm Baker-Berry Library Instead of swimming in the river with my friends, I need to get serious and head to Baker-Berry to work on my QSS project. I go straight to one of the circle booths on the third floor. It’s where I think best.
7:30 pm Tuk Tuk Thai It’s cozy. It’s elegant. And the food is fantastic— and healthy. It’s never a guilty pleasure to eat at Tuk Tuk, so I always look for an excuse. Collaborating on a project? Let’s meet at Tuk Tuk. That’s what I’m doing here tonight.
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Start your own perfect day here. This guide will point you to all the places on campus that students in these pages have singled out as special in their daily lives. Many are open to the public. Some aren’t—like individual dorm rooms—but you’ll be able to visit the general location and get a sense of the atmosphere of each place. The idea behind this guide is for you to use their suggestions to inspire your own perfect day in Hanover. If you were a student here, what would make your list?
Kaj’s favorite spots 1 Occom Pond 2 Rauner Special Collections Library 3 Norwich, Vermont 4 Paddock Music Library 5 Dartmouth Hall Jenny’s favorite spots 6 Alumni Gymnasium 7 Dana Biomedical Sciences Library 8 Dirt Cowboy Café 9 Connecticut River 10 Class of ’53 Commons Rafael’s favorite spots 11 KAF (King Arthur Flour Café) 12 Orozco Mural Room 13 Thayer School of Engineering 14 Hood Museum of Art 15 Winter Carnival
Gui’s favorite spots 16 Bartlett Hall 17 Moosilauke Ravine Lodge 18 Hopkins Center for the Arts 19 Courtyard Café 20 Collis Center
Campus Traditions Every season is the best season at Dartmouth. A Presidential Debates (Hopkins Center) Dartmouth College is a frequent stop on the campaign trail, giving students an up-close-andpersonal experience of New Hampshire’s first-inthe-nation presidential primary. B Homecoming Night (Dartmouth Green, Football Field) Dating back to 1888, alumni have returned to march with students in an exuberant parade, bask in the autumn bonfire on Dartmouth Green, and take in some of the most thrilling athletic events of the year. C Winter Carnival (Dartmouth Green, Occom Pond, Dartmouth Skiway) For more than 100 years, this annual event has showcased Dartmouth’s celebrated athletes and artists and includes ski races, a polar bear swim, a human dogsled race, and an ice sculpture contest. D First-Year Trips (Robinson Hall, Moosilauke Lodge, Canoe Club) First-years get to know Dartmouth, launch lifelong friendships, and begin to unify as a class while exploring the remarkably beautiful rivers, mountains, and forests that surround campus. E Powwow (Dartmouth Green) Honoring Dartmouth’s long-standing mission of educating Native students, this event draws hundreds of participants from around the country who gather to celebrate Native cultures and histories. F Green Key Weekend (Gold Coast Lawn, Collis Center) Students welcome spring with live music across the campus, a mini-music festival brought right to their doorsteps featuring national artists and student bands—great food, too. G
Catherine’s favorite spots 21 Dartmouth Green 22 Moore Hall 23 McLaughlin Cluster 24 Baker-Berry Library 25 Tuk Tuk Thai
Class Day (BEMA) The day before commencement, seniors join in a procession to the BEMA, a wooded, grasscovered amphitheater on the edge of campus, for a rousing farewell ceremony.
Dartmouth College Office of Undergraduate Admissions 603.646.2875 admissions.dartmouth.edu
When you are many miles from Hanover, live your perfect day at Dartmouth virtually. After all, that’s what social media is for. Instagram: @dartmouthadmissions YouTube: @dartgo.org/AdmissionsYT Facebook: @dartmouthadmissions Twitter: @dartmouth Snapchat: @applydartmouth Blog: Dartgo.org/blog