Be a Trip Leader

No, not a Merry Prankster, that is so 1960s. We are talking about the Dartmouth Outing Club Freshmen trips. They are in full swing right now--hikes out into the wilderness and close encounters with wildlife are a great way to transition students into a new life and build early friendships.

Each year close to 200 students lead the trips. This year, they are all coming into Rauner Library in groups of 10-15 to see a room filled with documents from the DOC records that show the history and development of the trips. This year's favorite piece is an application from 1991 to be a trip leader. The student added a cover letter apologizing for turning in his application late, then went on to elucidate his skills on the accordion and bag pipes. "I play a mean polka to Guns & Roses tunes and can play a hellish rendition of the Flintstones on the 'pipes. Of course I can play Dear Old Dartmouth on either instrument.  Might this aid in waking the sleeping freshmen come in handy to you?"  When asked on the application if he would be willing to have a faculty member along on the trip, he answered yes, that he could think of one English Professor who "loves this sort of pseudo-Hemingway adventure."

But it was his idea for the T-Shirt pictured here that must have won him a spot as a trip leader.

The history of the trips is well documented in the DOC Records (DO-1) which are available for inspiration here in Rauner.