Senior Societies
Student literary or fraternal societies of Dartmouth College date back to 1783. Starting in the late nineteenth century, students began creating societies for each of the four class years. Only the senior societies survive from those early class societies, and new ones have been added in recent years. Six of the eight senior societies keep their membership secret until Commencement, when members of all senior societies may be identified by their carved canes. In part, the availability of a house (as opposed to a meeting hall) helps determine how secretive a society may be. About 10% of the senior class members are affiliated with a senior society today.
Read more about this topic: Dartmouth College Student Groups
Famous quotes containing the words senior and/or societies:
“Adolescents have the right to be themselves. The fact that you were the belle of the ball, the captain of the lacrosse team, the president of your senior class, Phi Beta Kappa, or a political activist doesn’t mean that your teenager will be or should be the same....Likewise, the fact that you were a wallflower, uncoordinated, and a C student shouldn’t mean that you push your child to be everything you were not.”
—Laurence Steinberg (20th century)
“In countries where associations are free, secret societies are unknown. In America there are factions, but no conspiracies.”
—Alexis de Tocqueville (1805–1859)