“So what do you do on the weekends?” You probably asked your student tour guide this question on your first visit to Andover. Now here you are, exhausted and slightly overwhelmed after only four days of classes. How will you get through this term? Don’t worry, there’s plenty of fun to be had on campus. Every Thursday, students receive a copy of “The Weekender” as an email from the Student Activities Office, listing the events for the upcoming weekend. But there are some larger-scale events on the horizon to look forward to. Wondering what to watch out for this term? Stay tuned, there’s plenty of entertainment in store. Video Dance (Saturday) This Saturday, head over to Borden Gym around 9:45 (do NOT arrive at 8:30!) if you want to check out the first dance of the year. Crowded and high-energy, this is one of the better dances of the year because there are so many new faces. It is also unique because of the huge projector screen that plays music videos during the dance. Quad Day (September) An outdoor carnival complete with live music, a moon bounce and more, Quad Day is a fun way to hang out with friends while the autumn weather lasts. Residents of West Quad North and South set up booths, pedalling everything from cookies to massages to raise money for their dorm funds. Grasshopper Night (October) Attending Grasshopper Night: the question is “how?” not “if.” The highlight of Parents’ Weekend and the biggest show of the year, Grasshopper Night is inevitably sold-out. Tickets are first distributed via a lottery system, but if you don’t get tickets through the lottery, you can get on the waiting list. A student-run, variety show, “G-hop” (as it’s affectionately known) never fails to wow the crowd of parents and PA kids alike. In a few weeks, the producers will be holding auditions for this year’s acts. Got talent? Sign up for a slot and show them what you’ve got. Halloween Dance (October) Can anyone say crazy costume contest? Half the fun of this dance is getting creative. Chaos reigns in the dorms as everyone gets ready and races around looking for face paint, glow-in-the-dark nail polish or fishnet tights. Sadie Hawkins Dance (November) Guys, relax. For this mid-November semi-formal dance, the pressure of asking a date is all on the girls. Cue the drama, especially in freshman girls’ dorms like Nathan Hale, where dibs have probably already been called. Boys, you just have to buy the flowers. International Festival (November) From martial arts to ethnic dance, I-Fest provides a glimpse into a myriad of other cultures with a Talent Show in Kemper Auditorium. Preceding this event is a food bazaar in the GW Mailroom where you can sample food from all over the globe. Andover/Exeter Weekend (November) In November, Andover explodes with Big Blue pride. In preparation for the A/E athletic contests, students first dress up for Exeter Geek Day, donning red clothes, huge glasses and high-waisted pants and clutching calculators in a good-humored satire of our rival school’s nerdy reputation. The next day is True Blue Day, where students wear all shades of blue to show their spirit. Following the Pep Rally, where Blue Key Heads and Varsity teams perform skits to get everyone pumped to beat our red opponents. But get ready to lose your voice on game day cheering on the Big Blue!
