Each year, the Dartmouth Night bonfire (the kickoff to homecoming weekend) is constructed by the first year class in the center of the Dartmouth Green. The bonfire is built to specifications outlined in the “Bonfire Construction Safety Policies and Procedures” maintained by the Student Life office. The bonfire is made up of three tiers, in a design that was developed by students at the Thayer School of Engineering: a star-shaped base tier, a hexagonal second tier and a square top tier. There are 33 layers in the base, 22 layers in the hex and seven tiers in the square, which is topped off by the class number (this year, “Class of 2011”). The layers are made of non-treated, square-cut timbers; the base tier is filled with pallets and other waste wood.
Although bonfires have been lit to celebrate athletic victories dating back to the 1880s, the homecoming bonfire tradition began with the first Dartmouth Night in 1895. Over the years the height and composition of the bonfire has changed, evolving to the current shape and height. The bonfire is lit as the culmination of the Dartmouth Night festivities, following a parade through Hanover and a pep rally on the steps of Dartmouth Hall. The remains of the collapsed bonfire are removed the following morning. A brief history of the bonfire appeared in the Oct. 13, 2006 edition of The Dartmouth.
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