DOC First-Year (Freshman) Trips
Established in 1935 to promote interest in the Dartmouth Outing Club, DOC Trips is one of the largest pre-orientation programs in the country, involving over 90 percent of students in each incoming class. "Trips" has evolved significantly since its creation, becoming steadily more popular and intricate. During the 1960s, under the support of Dartmouth President John Sloan Dickey, the College renovated the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, made the Lodge the final destination for all Trips, and brought participation up to two-thirds of the incoming class.
Today, Trips takes place in the two weeks prior to the standard orientation week, and involves a three-night, four-day trip of hiking, kayaking, canoeing, biking, rock climbing, organic farming, or nature photography, culminating in a tradition-filled night spent at the College-owned Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. Run entirely by current students, these trips feature crews on campus and at the Lodge who welcome the incoming students and teach many of the traditional College dances, songs, and legends. Between six and ten incoming students are led by two current students on their trip. Trips is designed to welcome the incoming students to the College and to introduce them to various campus traditions. Up to one-third of the eligible current students apply to be a trip leader or a support crew.
The DOC Trips program incorporates many traditions, including the singing of the "Alma Mater" and the dancing of the "Salty Dog Rag" to a song of the same name by Red Foley (mp3). The dance is believed to originate from The Putney School, and is also performed at the YMCA Sandy Island Camp in Lake Winnipesaukee.
Read more about this topic: Dartmouth College Traditions
Famous quotes containing the words doc and/or trips:
“What sort of men are these? How do they do it? How can they do it?”
—Samuel Fuller, U.S. screenwriter, and Milton Sperling. Samuel Fuller. Doc (Andrew Duggan)
“A great proportion of the inhabitants of the Cape are always thus abroad about their teaming on some ocean highway or other, and the history of one of their ordinary trips would cast the Argonautic expedition into the shade.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)