In early September, the Class of 2028 arrived to a campus under renovation, with fewer spaces available to socialize than previous freshman cohorts had experienced. The two-year construction of the Fayerweather Halls, which began in June 2024, as well as the initial phase of renovations to the Collis Center porch, has eliminated two spots where past freshmen classes typically socialized.
Collis porch — a central part of the social ecosystem across grade levels, though especially first-years — has been replaced by “Collis Plaza,” a cluster of tables set up between Collis and the Class of 1953 Commons. According to Emily Garrard ’28, Collis Plaza has become an enjoyable space to eat and socialize.
“Sometimes I’ll get food to go from Foco [Class of ’53 Commons] and sit out there [Collis Plaza] for two hours and hang out as long as the weather is nice,” Garrard said.
According to Alejandro Moro ’28, the unseasonably warm weather this October has meant that freshmen also “don’t mind making the walk on random nights to friends’ dorms, even if they are quite far.”
Even on days where the weather is not as idyllic, Moro feels like going to any residence hall is an uncomplicated way to hang out with friends, since most residence halls on Dartmouth’s small campus are within “a 15-minute walk,” he explained.
According to Carys Kirlew ’28, however, several of the “bigger dorms” have become central freshman hangouts in the absence of the Fayerweather Halls, a well-known freshman gathering space in past years.
Kirlew finds herself spending time in residence halls “that are more central, like… Mid-Mass [Mid Massachusetts Hall].”
Several dining locations have also become important for freshmen to spend time together, including Class of ’53 Commons, Collis Cafe, Novack Cafe and Courtyard Cafe. According to Graham Hodgson ’28, Class of ’53 Commons in particular “has a strong social attraction” — especially since all freshmen are placed on the Ivy Unlimited meal plan, which provides full access to Foco throughout the day.
Despite the arrival of these new social spaces, the prevailing sentiment among freshmen is that there is no perfect alternative, according to Tobias Jehn ’28.
“I think that because there’s not an obvious second choice, our ’28 substitute for [The Fayerweather Halls] hasn’t been established as a spot already,” Jehn said. “It’ll take more time for us to realize that a certain spot works really well and go back there over and over again, or that might just never happen.”
While Orientation Week initially brought the freshmen class together in certain spaces, Kirlew explained that some first-year students feel these emerging locations no longer connect them in the same way.
“Collis After Dark was a big thing … [and] the pool table room was packed,” Kirlew said. Now, though, with the freshman class properly settled in, Kirlew said that she has “never seen more than ten people in [the pool table room].”
In past years, freshmen traditionally held parties during the frat ban — a period of time during their first term when freshmen are prohibited from entering Greek spaces — in the basement of the Fayerweathers, colloquially known as the Fayesment. Although that space is no longer available due to ongoing construction, freshman parties persist across campus.
“As a ’28 during [the] frat ban, there aren’t as many options at night. So if it comes down to it, having fun will often mean socializing in a dorm,” Jehn said. “The Choates basement was where freshmen congregated at night during orientation.”
According to Hodgson, dorm parties have occurred in several residence halls over the course of the fall term, including Russell Sage Hall and, more typically, one of the residence halls in the Choates cluster.
While he agreed that many students believe the Choates have replaced the Fayes in social importance to first-years, Hodgson said freshmen fear they might now be more monitored by campus security. Subsequently, freshmen have “shied away a little a bit,” leaving something to be desired from the social scene of the Choates
“The basements [of the Choates] are probably regarded as better than the lacrosse and baseball houses,” Hodgson said. “Personally, I think it’s crowded; it’s just a bunch of people in a very crowded space. It’s fun, but it’s not as fun as it could be.”
According to Kirlew, the lacrosse and rugby house, a property also known as “Thirty,” as well as the baseball house are off-campus spaces that freshmen end up at on nights out. However, Gerrard added that athletic houses do not seem to have the same reputation as the Fayesment — especially to older Dartmouth students and alumni.
“My older sister went here — she was the Class of 2022 — and when I told her that everyone …was hanging out [at the Choates] even during the soccer preseason, she said, ‘the Choates is not the social hub,’” Gerrard said. “I think although the Choates [have] become sort of a replacement for the Fayesment, it’s a pretty big downgrade.”
However, Moro said some freshmen believe they will persevere despite the removal of previously popular social spaces.
“It was important that there were spaces carved out like Collis’ basement [8 Ball Hall] or the Choates when making friends during orientation,” Moro said. According to him, even without a place specifically for freshmen, “people are doing just fine.”
