Our Dickinson Cards

Our

DICKINSON

Our Dickinson Our Dickinson is a program coordinated by the Office of Alumni & Parent Engagement and the Office of Campus Life. The program’s mission is to help develop a sense of Dickinson spirit and pride by promoting the history and traditions of the college. Each year Our Dickinson hosts four all-campus events—Charter Day, Red Out, Rush to Thank and the Celebration Dinner.

Celebrate. Volunteer. Connect. Give back. Together, it’s our Dickinson.

Convocation/Signing In

Convocation/Signing In Each year, new Dickinsonians gather in front of Old West’s venerable stone steps. Etched with history and scuffed by centuries of students, those steps are part of Dickinson’s most important traditions. During Convocation, new students walk up the steps and through the doors into Memorial Hall to sign into the college. The doors of Old West symbolize Dickinson’s connection to its past and a gateway to the future.

Commencement Weekend

Commencement Weekend Commencement Weekend opens with The Toast to the Graduating Class on Friday night. Students welcome their families and friends to campus at this annual champagne toast, which includes remarks from the president, the provost and members of the class. The Baccalaureate ceremony follows on Saturday afternoon and is a time for students to reect on their four years at Dickinson through speeches, music, prayers and other outlets. The weekend concludes with a Sunday graduation ceremony known as Commencement. At Commencement, the graduating class walks out the doors and down the steps of Old West, symbolically exiting the college and entering the world of alumni.

Orientation Traditions

Orientation Traditions New Student Orientation is an annual event that welcomes new students into the Dickinson community. Several events within Orientation are celebrated as Dickinson traditions, including the Red and White Dinner and the Quiz Bowl Neighborhood Challenge.

Senior Experience

Senior Experience Members of the class and groups across campus come together to plan a comprehensive senior program to help Dickinsonians make the transition from students to active alumni. The senior-class experience, culminating with a week’s worth of social programming leading to Commencement, is preceded by the annual Pints with Profs event and the Senior Class Gift Campaign.

Charter Day

Charter Day Each year the campus community gathers on the Academic Quad to commemorate the enactment of Dickinson’s charter on September 9, 1783. This document established Dickinson as a college. It was approved by the Pennsylvania state legislature and enacted just one week after the Treaty of Paris had officially ended the American Revolution—a fact that distinguishes Dickinson as the first college chartered in the newly established United States.

Dinks

Dinks A small hat known as the Dickinson dink was presented to every ďŹ rst-year student until the late 1960s, marking them as new members of the Dickinson community. Students were subject to a number of rules and regulations associated with the dink. The class of 1971 was the last group to ofďŹ cially receive the cap.

Red Devil

Red Devil Dickinson’s Red Devil mascot was born in 1930 when the college football team played a tough game against George Washington University. The Dickinson Red and White were heavily outmatched in the end, but they held off George Washington throughout the first half, trailing 7 to 6 at halftime. Because of this show of grit and spirit against a superior team, a Washington writer from the Public Ledger dubbed the Dickinson team the “Red Devils.”

Dick the Dog

Dick the Dog Dick was Dickinson’s proud mascot from 1896 to 1903. He spent time in the college’s residence halls, posed with athletics teams in official photographs and even attended chapel. He was found dead in Dean of the College James Henry Morgan’s front garden on Monday, January 19, 1903, and the students sent him to a taxidermist so he could remain a presence on campus. Dick eventually made his way back to campus, where he was displayed in the trophy case for several years. Today, his whereabouts are unknown.

Mermaid

Mermaid When Benjamin Latrobe designed Old West on Dickinson’s campus, he asked a local coppersmith to craft a cupola weathervane in the likeness of Triton, a fish-tailed mythological sea god. Unfamiliar with Triton, the coppersmith crafted instead the only fish-tailed human with which he was familiar—a mermaid. The mermaid quickly captured the hearts of Dickinson students and inspired a series of legendary pranks. The original mermaid is now on display in Dickinson’s Waidner-Spahr Library, while a replica has taken its place on Old West.

Academic Awards

Academic Awards Dickinson students do remarkable work— independent research, internships, rigorous studies— and each year a select group of students are recognized for their outstanding efforts. The college gives out several academic awards ranging from departmentspeciďŹ c awards to recognition for the highest GPA in a class year.

Adirondack Chairs

Adirondack Chairs The red Adirondack chairs, a highly visible part of the campus landscape, are never in the same place from one day to the next. Students move them to a quiet place to study alone, classes arrange them in large circles for active discussions and friends put them side by side to sit and watch life on campus.

Benjamin Rush Statue

Benjamin Rush Statue Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the foremost American physician of the 18th century, is the founder of Dickinson College. A statue of Benjamin Rush is among the landmarks featured in Dickinson’s historic triangle— the cross-section space created by Old West, the Stern Center for Global Education and East College. A reminder of the past, the statue also plays a part in current campus traditions, and students frequently garnish the statue with colorful streamers or apparel to celebrate important events, such as Spirit Week or Commencement.

The Denny Bell

The Denny Bell Dickinson purchased the building that would become Denny Hall from the Denny family for $1 with a promise to keep the building under their name as a memorial. The building opened June 8, 1896. Denny Memorial Hall was destroyed by ďŹ re on March 3, 1904, rebuilt and opened again under the same name on June 6, 1905. The only addition to the building was the Lenore Allison Tower, which houses the Denny Bell.

The bell is rung each year, by the members of Wheel & Chain, as part of the Commencement ceremony.

John Dickinson’s Lion

John Dickinson’s Lion John Dickinson, the college’s namesake, shed his family’s aristocratic past by refusing to have a coat of arms in America. He extracted only one of its icons as a symbol—a lion. A priceless piece of the college’s history, the lion, in the form of a marble sculpture, traveled everywhere with John Dickinson and was likely with him when he drafted the Articles of Confederation. Today, the lion watches over graduating Dickinsonians at Commencement and appears at the college’s signing-in ceremony.

College Seal

College Seal In the summer of 1784, as Dickinson’s founders discussed the formation of the college, Benjamin Rush and John Dickinson were asked to create a suitable seal for the institution. The resulting seal consists of an open Bible, a telescope and a cap surrounded by the inscription “Pietate et Doctrina Tuta Libertas,” a Latin phrase meaning “Freedom is made safe through character and learning.”

Watch your step! Legend has it that if a student treads on the college seal embedded in the middle of Britton Plaza, he or she won’t graduate.

Welcome Back BBQ

Welcome Back BBQ Hosted on the Sunday evening before the ďŹ rst day of class, the Welcome Back BBQ, sponsored by MOB (the Multi-Organization Board), is the ďŹ rst social event of the academic year.

Special Dinners

Special Dinners Thanksgiving, Holiday, Celebration

Did you ever wonder what it would look like to have a room full of desserts? Well, you’re in luck—three times a year the Dining Hall is transformed for a special dinner celebration. Tables are covered in linens, a special menu is planned and the desserts are so grand they need a room of their own. You won’t want to miss the Thanksgiving Dinner and Holiday Dinner in the fall and the Celebration Dinner in the spring.

Class Icons

Class Icons In 2010 a new tradition emerged—the creation of class icons. All Dickinson students share the Dickinson wordmark and college seal, which unify them as members of the Dickinson community. The class icons promote a more specific affinity among classmates— an affinity that remains strong throughout the four years at Dickinson and beyond. The icons visually represent some of the college’s most significant landmarks: the mermaid, the statue of Benjamin Rush, the doors of Old West and the campus archways.

Alumni Weekend and Homecoming & Family Weekend

Alumni Weekend and Homecoming & Family Weekend Alumni Weekend is held each June and is an opportunity for alumni to come back to Carlisle, visit old friends and celebrate reunions—many even stay on campus to relive the college experience. The weekend is full of celebrations, including an all-alumni dinner, class photos and a barbeque.

Homecoming & Family Weekend is an annual event that brings together the Dickinson community for a few days of fall fun. Homecoming also is a time for the current students to boast their latest advancements in academia and athletics. Festivities include the Red Devil football game, lectures and presentations, tours and receptions and family-friendly entertainment.

All-College Formal

All-College Formal Every year the college comes together for this formal dance hosted by MOB (the Multi-Organization Board). The transformation of the HUB Social Hall, inspired by each year’s theme, sets the perfect tone for students to dance the night away.

Springfest

Springfest The name says it all for this annual event sponsored

by MOB (the Multi-Organization Board). Held on Morgan Field in the spring, the festival includes a cookout, games, music, giveaways and booths hosted by student groups.

The Dickinsonian

The Dickinsonian The Dickinsonian has been the college’s student newspaper since 1872. The paper was ďŹ rst issued by two literary societies and written in the style of a literary journal. Eventually the paper transitioned to its current form, reporting on campus life and events and engaging the campus as a print forum for open discussion. New issues are available across campus every Thursday.

Red Out

Red Out Red Out is one of the four events sponsored by Our Dickinson and is cosponsored by MOB (the Multi-Organization Board). Held during a Fridaynight football game, the event gathers the campus community at Biddle Field to cheer on the Red Devils.

Festivities include a funnel-cake truck, wings, fun giveaways and a special halftime show. Stop by to show your spirit, and don’t forget to wear the red!

Rush to Thank

Rush to Thank Each year more than 9,500 alumni, parents, students and friends make a gift to the college, and each spring we take a day to celebrate their generosity. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to rush to the lobby of the HUB to sign a thank-you card. Cookies, coffee and tea are available for anyone who participates in Rush to Thank!

Networking Day

Networking Day Networking Day is an annual event co-sponsored by the Career Center and the OfďŹ ce of Alumni & Parent Engagement. It provides an opportunity for alumni to return to campus and offer students advice on landing a job and choosing a career path. Alumni and students attend breakout sessions focused on career-speciďŹ c topics and participate in mock interviews.

PAS

PAS The Public Affairs Symposium started in the mid-20th century as a religious symposium, but since 1964 it has been a secular symposium promoting dialogue on contemporary ethical and social issues. Speakers at the student-run symposiums have included Ralph Nader, Peter Jennings, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and numerous politicians.

D-Book

D-Book The D-Book is a pocket-sized compendium of Dickinson’s history and traditions. Printed regularly in the early ’60s, the D-Book was revived by students in 2006. It is now given to all first-year students as an introduction to the college.