This article was featured in the 2017 Homecoming Issue.
Our “Alma Mater” proclaims a campus of loyal sons and daughters of an idyllic “College on the Hill.” While the “Alma Mater” is sung on First-Year Trips by the incoming class and is played daily on the bells of Baker Library, it’s easy to forget why we recite these time-honored words. What is the “spell” that remains on Dartmouth students and the alumni they become? Why does this “granite of New Hampshire” become a part of our identities during and after our time in Hanover?
This year’s Homecoming Issue seeks to explore how the lyrics of this Dartmouth classic still resonate with students, if at all. The inspiration for each article comes from a line of the “Alma Mater,” which you can find bolded in the header above each page. There is no one correct way of interpreting the “Alma Mater” — as our writers show, the song’s many meanings are as unique as the students who sing it.
Whether you’re a ’21 or an ’18, it’s perfectly fine if you don’t yet know what the “Alma Mater” means to you. To us, the anthem reminds us of the warmth and kindness that Dartmouth students show toward each other. This characteristic of our Dartmouth family, more so than any tradition, is what we believe best defines us.
Wishing you a happy, safe and, might we say, “lit” Homecoming.
Warmly,
Cris and Julia
