Ever since its inception in 1910, Dartmouth's Winter Carnival has been more than just a celebration of the winter season and the sports for which Dartmouth is famous. Carnival is a time when students and alumni alike revel in the tradition and spirit of camaraderie that distinguishes this campus from all others.
Historically, in the "olden days" of the all-male Dartmouth, Carnival was a time when women flocked to Hanover to join in the festivities, and most importantly, to attend the annual Snow Ball. Dorms were emptied in order to accommodate the dates and girlfriends of the Dartmouth men, and the usually rural and unpretentious campus became a lively, elegant and decorated center of celebration.
Back in those days, the Ball was held in various areas that could accommodate such a large group of people. Dartmouth students and their dates shed the practical, warm and sporty winter gear in order to don the trappings of elegance.
On the day of the Ball, a panel of judges (including the President of the college), would choose a Queen of the Snow and a Royal Court. At the ball that evening, she would take her place as Queen of the Ball and dance the night away with her King.
Sometime in the 1970s the tradition of the annual Snow Ball ended. The spirit of Carnival continued, of course, but the focus of the weekend shifted slightly away from the sports and centered itself more around partying and celebration. Perhaps because the College became coed, students felt as though they didn't need an event like the Ball to draw women up to Hanover. Whatever the reason for ending the Snow Ball was, however, it was also part of a movement that slightly altered the entire nature of Carnival.
As time passed, the number of planned Carnival events decreased. No longer did fraternities and dorms compete for the honor of creating the best snow sculpture, and no longer were the Winter sports the center of Carnival attention. In an effort to revive the old and traditional spirit of Winter Carnival, however, last year the Programming Board re-instituted a variation on the annual Ball. As a result of immense student interest in Swing dancing, the Programming Board created the Swing Ball.
Last year, the Carnival Ball was restored because "Carnival lacked a centerpiece," said Catherine Maxson '99. "We felt that a campus-wide formal was missing from the college, and Carnival seemed like appropriate time to have one," said Brian Sleet '00.
This year, once again, the Programming Board will hold a Swing Ball in Alumni Hall and Top of the Hop on Saturday evening from 8 p.m. until midnight.Programming Board co-chairs, Maxson and Sleet , and Event chair Emily Anadu '00 have been working diligently in order to ensure a successful and enjoyable formal.
The Ball, although specifically a Swing Ball, is expected to be enjoyable for all who attend. In Alumni Hall the White Heat Orchestra, a professional Swing Band that works out of Boston, will be playing the Swing tunes of the 1940s.
In the Top of the Hop, however, various jazz quartets, comprised of professionals and Dartmouth community members, will be entertaining guests who wish to socialize and enjoy the food that will be catered by the Hanover Inn. In addition, Valentine's day prizes will be raffled off at the door.
Reflecting on the success of last year's Ball, Sleet said that one of the most successful aspects of the Ball is that, "Although so many people attend the Ball, it isn't just one kind of person. It is one of the few events that crosses clique and cultural lines."
In the spirit of Carnival, the Swing Ball is an event that unites students of all backgrounds; it is also an event that unites today's students with a tradition that keeps the spirit of Dartmouth alive.
As the composition of the Dartmouth student body has changed and evolved, so has the nature of Winter Carnival. The Dartmouth of today and the Dartmouth that conceived the notion of Winter Carnival are vastly different, but the traditions that have survived ensure that the Dartmouth spirit is one of friendship, fellowship and community.
