"The anthropologist has become so familiar with the diversity of ways in which different people behave in similar situations that he is not apt to be surprised by even the most exotic customs. In fact, if all of the logically possible combinations of behavior have not been found somewhere in the world, he is apt to suspect that they must be present in some yet undescribed tribe. The point has, in fact, been expressed with respect to clan organization by Murdock. In this light, the magical beliefs and practices of the Nacirema present such unusual aspects that it seems desirable to describe them as an example of the extremes to which human behavior can go....” Horace Miner, Body Ritual among the Nacirema, 1956

When Horace Miner wrote Body Ritual among the Nacirema in 1956, he developed a concept that became a significant paradigm in anthropology. Was it pretentious? Yes. Did the exercise lead to a deeper understanding of our culture? Certainly. 

***

It is Winter Carnival, but it is not cold. The basement is, in fact, hot. Very hot. It is dark and it is loud. The scent of sweat, beer, vomit, and urine is almost potent enough to constitute a taste. I entered the basement completely dry about five minutes ago, but you would swear that I had stepped out of the shower fully-clothed moments ago. People are writhing in a tangled, but beautiful, mess. I watch for a few minutes and head upstairs; this is, after all, an anthropological study - best not get involved with the natives.

I find a young man upstairs, clearly drunk, somewhat uncoordinated, but charmingly forthcoming and energetic. I explain my research and ask him why he drinks. “Dude, it’s so much easier to land babes if you’re sloppy.” I then ask what would make him stop drinking. “Like in general?” Yes, like in general. “I don’t know. Maybe if I lost my liver or something, but I don’t really see the point. Like, the new H-Po policy is there… but, the whole point of the weekend is getting sloppy. That’s when the magic happens.” At this point, he went back downstairs, back on the prowl. 

***

In 2005, Hoyt Alverson, one of Dartmouth’s finest professors of Anthropology, published an ethnographic survey of Dartmouth’s student culture. The observations and reports included in this study were collected by students in Professor Alverson’s course, Methods of Ethnographic Field Research. Alverson’s students began collecting data on Dartmouth’s social space, and Alverson synthesized about 35 descriptions into a 25 page report. 

The research was conducted in response to the Student Life Initiative, which was designed to combat Dartmouth’s drinking culture. Alverson’s findings, and a basic understanding of human social organizations, however, suggest that taking such a narrow view of student culture and drinking, in particular, is singularly misinformed. Indeed, Alverson’s studies suggest that alcohol and drugs are critical to the maintenance of our social system.

Some anthropologists, including Marvin Harris, argue that our behaviors are inherently functional; that is, our actions serve a purpose to ourselves and our communities. Cultures evolve in much the same way as biological organisms. Useful adaptations propagate; dangerous, ill-adjusted behaviors die out. Furthermore, within this system of thinking, our beliefs are relatively unimportant. It is, instead, the actions that these beliefs elicit that are important. Harris famously argued that the Hindu prohibition of beef served important economic and social functions, in spite of the seeming irrational unwillingness to eat beef when people were dying from starvation. Drinking at Dartmouth is, naturally, what we turn to next. What purpose could it serve? 

Alverson identified a host of drinking’s functions in our culture: “blowing off steam, hanging out, meeting and mating with the opposite (or same) sex, demonstrating athletic prowess, affirming or creating social bonds, overcoming reserve and shyness, fitting in and getting ahead amongst peers, overcoming gender stereotypes, flouting societal norms, raging, and having one hell of a good time.” I would have to agree. Keystone Light is, as Alverson puts it, the “sacrament in the black mass.” However, I am forced to wonder whether or not there is more to drinking. It is clear that drinking serves all these functions. It is also clear that for many people on campus, these pay-offs far outweigh the costs. It seems, however, that there must be more to this phenomenon. After all, access to alcohol at Dartmouth is determined, for a large portion of campus, by the fraternities. If Keystone is the sacrament, then the brothers must be the priests. 

***

It is still Winter Carnival, and it is still hot. At Dartmouth, if ever you want to participate in something, there is a line - whether it's for a community service project or FSP. Many of us believe that we should be entitled to participate in these programs. Isn’t that why we came to Dartmouth? Aren’t we entitled to something? In short, not apparently. Nowhere is this more true than the basement. 

In any basement, there is a hierarchy. Mathematically, it can be written: bros > hos > freshmen. This hierarchy determines the order in which drinks are served and the order in which people get on table. Status and relationships determine everything. Merit matters naught.

I am watching a freshman try to get a drink. This particular freshman is a boy. He is never going to drink. I leave, wander, talk to some friends, and return to see how he’s doing. Not well. He has been at the bar for twenty minutes, and I don’t think anyone has noticed him yet. After a few more minutes, defeated, he decides to leave. As he’s walking out, I approach him and ask him if he was having trouble getting a drink. “Nah,” he says, “I’m just so trashed they said I couldn’t have anymore. They still gave me a few. Crushed ‘em.” “Sick, bro,” I yell, “pound it!” After a pound, he walks away quickly and bounces up the stairs with considerable alacrity. He had not had a drink. But, tomorrow, he would be sure to tell his friends about how hard he was. 

***

Dartmouth’s student culture is fantastically complex. Myriad connections and relationships determine the structure of power among the students. In the basement, students must maintain the favor of the brotherhood to enjoy the privileges of alcohol and pong. Failure to please the brothers (or sisters) may result in ejection from the basement and banishment from the house. Guests must always keep in mind that their fun ultimately rests in the hands of the brotherhood (or sisterhood).

In this environment, people are forced to cultivate good relationships with people in the house or join a house themselves. Joining a house costs time and money and approximately half of the student body decides against it. Those who do join, however, enjoy a position of power in Dartmouth’s social scene. Managing relationships between oneself and houses can pose a challenge, but success is rewarded by an unlimited supply of alcohol and a variety of perks.

Dartmouth’s student culture is hyper-competitive. We compete for the favor of brothers and sisters in the Greek system. Those who are unable to successfully and rapidly build relationships can prove themselves on table. Pong is Dartmouth’s bloodsport. While it can be enjoyed socially, it encourages a degree of competitiveness not found in many other drinking games. Dartmouth students can also prove themselves through their drinking prowess. The ability to drink quickly and excessively is a highly prized skill.

As a Dartmouth student, it can be assumed that you are driven to succeed. You are going to win in class, and you are going to win in the basement.

***

It is the morning after Winter Carnival. It is also 8 AM. This is the earliest that I have been up in over a year. But anything for the project. Surprisingly enough, despite last night’s drunken excess, there are people out and about. At the Hop, I spot one of the girls who I saw out the night prior. Last night, she was trashed. I ask her why she’s up so early. “I have a life to live, and I don’t let raging get in the way of my life.” 

Though Dartmouth students rage, they also wake up. They recover, and then they go find success in the classroom, in athletics, and, the night after, in the basement. We attempt to destroy ourselves every weekend, but then we crawl back from the brink and achieve. The significance of drinking on Dartmouth’s campus contributes to health problems, unwanted sexual encounters, and social problems among the student population. However, Dartmouth produces students that succeed. Ten years out, Dartmouth graduates enjoy the highest annual salary. Dartmouth students have been responsible for some of the greatest political, economic, and technological accomplishments in our nation’s history. We are shaped by the student culture as well as Dartmouth’s academic environment. We must recognize that Dartmouth works. It does what it is here to do, and the student culture is very much a part of that. It is impossible to understand what the prohibition of alcohol would do to the Dartmouth system. Keep in mind that alcohol has an important effect on campus unity and maintaining bonds among people. But don’t tamper with what you don’t understand. 

***

“Looking from far and above, from our high places of safety in the developed civilization, it is easy to see all the crudity and irrelevance of magic. But without its power and guidance early man could not have mastered his practical difficulties as he has done, nor could man have advanced to the higher stages of civilization.” Horace Miner, Body Ritual among the Nacirema, 1956