I'm actually not really one for formals. In my 11 terms in Hanover and eight terms being a member of two Greek houses that host formals, I have only been to four. Only one was for my Greek house. I missed one because I was in the basement playing pong when the bus left and I completely skipped another after tails, and there are other stories in there too. This Fall, the first time I planned on going to my sorority's formal, I was so unsure about how to pick a date that I had to send a survey out to the house.
The point is not how little formal experience I have accumulated; it is that I too was very, very upset when Bates' new owners decided to no longer host Dartmouth formals ("Bates cancels Spring Term formals," April 10, 2009). In an email with The Dartmouth, new owner Douglas McBride says that they no longer cater for events and therefore "do not have the ability to host formals." So sorry, '12s and '13s (and '14s are you reading this yet?), looks like you'll never experience the magic of Bates.
Let's face it: Bates is the perfect location for a formal. It has the pretty scenery for pictures. It has the romantic pond for the hopefuls. It has the bedrooms for the adventurous. It has the tent, and the bar tent, and the porch, and the bathrooms, and my favorite the kitchen and kitchen workers who don't seem to care if you just wander in and plop yourself down and decide you want to be "helpful."
Less sensible people complain about the length of the bus ride. But I have memories of stopping the bus at the gas station to jump out, pee and buy some more Boone's.
In the absence of Bates as the go-to place, Greek organizations have scrambled to find new locations. Some popular locations have included:
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Lake Morey: Looks like it's quickly becoming the new Bates. They've hosted multiple formals in the past year and look like they'll have many more to come. It's also about half an hour closer than Bates according to Google Maps. This is key for the weak bladdered and for safety. (It's quite easy to call back to campus asking for a Designated Driver to take somebody home when you're only 20 minutes away.) And although they are more risk averse than Bates, there is still plenty of adventure to be found and some great locations for pictures by the lake.
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Dartmouth Skiway: Haha. Sorry that was a joke. Don't go there. Seriously, DO NOT GO THERE. Unless you are prepared to be extorted $1,500 for cleaning fees.
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Coolidge Hotel: Long thought to have closed its doors to Dartmouth formals after controversial incidents with KDE ("VT Police crash KDE formal," Nov. 17, 2004) and AZD ("Hartford, Vt., police bust Alpha Xi formal," Dec. 3, 2007), Coolidge Hotel is actually very open to Dartmouth formals. David Briggs, the events manager, maintains that both incidents were the result of students' choices, not the hotel's managers' actions. He also adds that in his 25 years of hosting Dartmouth formals, he's noticed that the formals have gotten "tamer" in recent years, and that the main change has been in the police's "tolerance level." So even though it has a rocky past, it sounds like the events manager is on students' side. Just make sure you don't leave the premises to take any outside, springy pictures. So maybe this a place to stick to for Winter formals.
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Dowd's Country Inn: Another close option that is pretty well-known for holding individuals accountable for their actions, rather than organizations. Innkeeper Tami Dowd says that she's strict about turning away intoxicated students at the door and hires extra security for Dartmouth formals. That said, she is still very open to hosting them, and has had 10 this year.
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On a Boat!: Because then you can play the song. And that's just awesome. Unfortunately, all the boat places (Burlington, Weare's Beach, Portsmouth) are about two hours away. Other downsides to the awesomeness are the lack of escape routes (for over-intoxication and for poor date choices) and the potential for sea sickness. But after a term abroad on Semester at Sea, this is the option I'd recommend.
6.[Enter name of fraternity/sorority/coed here] Basement: This is quickly becoming the foolproof fall back option for houses that have run into issues elsewhere. Advantages are that it's cheap, simple, and easy to sneak out of (for whatever reason). Disadvantages are that it's not much different from meetings with a "formal" theme. Woo.
It appears that there is no perfect replacement for Bates, with its beauty and tolerance. And it's scary to think that in two years, there will be nobody on this campus who can even lament the fact that it's no longer an option. But for you '10s and '11s (and alums still reading this hi alums!), here's my promise to you: one day, if (when) I marry another Dartmouth alum, I promise we'll have our reception at Bates. So you'll get the chance to run it back, one last time.
