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Photo Essay | Thursday, October 29, 2009

Dartmouth Night 2009

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Freshmen pose for The Dartmouth’s cameras as they continue to parade toward the bonfire.

Oct 29 | 12:00 am

Order this photo | Photo: Ben Gettinger / The Dartmouth Staff

The bonfire, an annual Homecoming tradition, awaits the crowds of Dartmouth Night on Friday.

College President Jim Yong Kim speaks at his first Dartmouth Night. Kim was officially inaugurated in September.

Freshman members of the Dartmouth College Glee Club sing in front of Dartmouth Hall at the Dartmouth Night event.

Members of the College’s football team listen to Kim’s speech at Dartmouth night. The team would go on to snap a 17-game losing streak with a win against Columbia on Saturday.

Kim, who was on the sidelines for Saturday night’s win, predicted in his Dartmouth Night speech that the Big Green would “take it to Columbia.”

Members of the Class of 2013 prepare for the Freshman Sweep in Russell Sage residence hall.

The “sweep” continues past the McLaughlin residential cluster, gathering more members of the Class of 2013.

Freshmen pose for The Dartmouth’s cameras as they continue to parade toward the bonfire.

Having completed their parade around campus, members of the Class of 2013 await the lighting of the bonfire.

On Dartmouth Night, members of the freshman class run around the bonfire while upperclassmen and community members look on. According to tradition, freshmen should complete a number of laps that corresponds to their class year.

The bonfire lights up the night sky on the Green.

Students run around the bonfire, cheered on by upperclassmen.

The bonfire shoots out to the side, startling the crowd.

Officers from a private security firm help with crowd control at the bonfire.

A student gives a “thumbs up” as he parades around the bonfire strapped to a kayak.

Students continue to run around the bonfire. Many would not stop until early Saturday morning.

The bonfire structure, as is tradition, was emblazoned with the year of the freshman class on top.

The bonfire was reduced to glowing embers by early Saturday morning.