Every summer, Dartmouth College turns into Camp Dartmouth as hundreds of campers and conference-goers flock to Hanover to take advantage of the under-used student facilities.
Approximately 52 conferences and camps are scheduled at Dartmouth this summer, according to Administrative Assistant for Conferences and Events Maureen Lobacz.
Among the camps for children, 17 are sports camps and two are academic, Lobacz said. There are camps for hockey, squash, swimming, football and tennis, among other sports.
Student attitudes towards the campers are generally benign.
"Campers -- gotta love them. We were all campers at one point in our lives," Amir Abu-Khalil '98 said.
However, sometimes there is friction between students and campers.
Several female students have reported being harassed by boys in the football camp. The students, who live in the RipWoodSmith residence hall cluster, often came into contact with the football players as the women passed by the Fayerweather residence hall cluster, where the boys were staying.
"Anytime we passed by there, the guys would be whistling. They were being obnoxious high school boys," Kristin Will, an exchange student from Mount Holyoke, said.
In one incident, Will said a camper told her and a friend, "I'm here for the Big Penis Convention."
Others have also noticed the influence the campers have on campus.
Most campers are given meal cards that only work at Westside Buffet. The students in the debate camp, however, have more elite privileges and are allowed to eat in any cafeteria.
According to Lobacz, the influx of campers gives DDS an economic boost every summer when most Dartmouth students are not around.
To some, however, the presence of campers in the dining halls can be a slight nuisance.
"A couple of them flirt with the female workers," Dartmouth Dining Services employee Jarrod Tisdell '99 said. According to Tisdell, these campers get rejected "big time -- but in a very nice way."
Westside employee Karen Wilkes '00 said that when some campers "hit on" her recently, she remained polite but rebuffed them.
Large groups of campers also cause traffic problems at times.
"We tie up all the traffic when we cross the streets. There'll be 15 people honking. One person cursed at us," Nike Tennis Camp participant Daniel Hui said.
Administrative Assistant Nancy Charbono was stalled in front of Richardson Hall by a counselor leading a group of campers across the street.
"It was like a mother duck with her ducklings waddling along," Charbono said.
But staying in Hanover is an enjoyable experience for most campers. Debbie Papa, a participant in the Elite Hockey Camp, said Hanover is "convenient" because of its many stores and restaurants.
Not everyone is quite so fond of their home away from home, however. Dartmouth Debate Institute participant Casey Meyers said Hanover "is pretty hokey, but the people are nice."
The campers report very little mingling with Dartmouth students, since they are busy all day and are under the strict supervision of their counselors.
In the Elite Hockey camp, the wake-up call comes at six in the morning and lights-out at 10 p.m. is strictly enforced.
Dartmouth does not just host summer camps for children. Adults also come for events such as the Advanced Language Program, the Ethics Institute and various conferences.
Many of them live in the East Wheelock cluster, where they enjoy air conditioning and bigger rooms. The younger campers live in the Fayerweathers, New Hampshire residence hall, the Choates residence hall cluster and Richardson residence hall this year.
