Undergraduate Chair

Nestled between College and Robinson Halls, is a squat little brick building that is the meeting and eating place for more people and more groups than almost anyone could name. The Collis College Center, now four years old, is the place to go on the Dartmouth campus for activities as varied as lunch with a professor, a Spanish play, a stand-up comic speaking with a down-East twang, drinks with friends, free screenings of film classics, and a wild evening of reggae music.

Indeed, Collis has graced the social, cultural, and political scene on the Hanover Plain since 1979, when the rebuilt "Freshman Commons" opened to students and community members, thanks largely to the generosity of Charles Collis '37. All sorts of people, discussions, and exhibits have made their way into that constantly buzzing one-story building.

The building is also home to intellectual ferment. Professors, administrators, and students discuss topics as diverse as race relations, the role of fraternities at Dartmouth, sexual fidelity in relationships, and the College's media image in weekly discussion hours or in less-structured groups of friends and neighbors. At first, some of the school's more conservative elements decried what they considered to be the leftist stench" emanating from the building (and the staff dutifully placed a can of deodorant in the Collis lobby to counter the critics). More recently, however, the building has expanded its activities in such a way so that all members of the community can enter and enjoy themselves in the student center.

More than a dining hall but cheaper than a restaurant, the Collis Cafe is the premier eating spot on campus for discernlng tastes. Typical meal-time fare includes sandwiches, (catering to both carnivores nd vegetarians), homemade soups, allnatural yogurt, a selection of fruits and fruit juices, and a large salad bar. Desserts spiced teas are present in abundance, as are daily specials such as chili, tostadas, and home-baked bread. But lines can last half an hour, and finding a table can be difficult even during the breakfast or evening hours.

Another activity that takes place in the Cafe is the "take a professor to lunch" program. On the Collis bulletin board, there is a space for students to sign beneath the name of a professor with whom they wish to eat six students maximum with room for alternates. These groups of six or so meet with the professor and discuss the issues of the day on a more personal level and in more pleasant surroundings than is usually the case.

Perhaps the most well-known activity in Collis is a special weekend program in the Cafe: Eleazar's Dungeon, a bi-weekly nightclub named after the College's first president. According to David Sadoff, a Dartmouth senior who chairs the Governing Board, the nightclub began a year and a half ago "not to entertain the campus with a single event, but rather to furnish it with an ongoing, biweekly mainstay act."

"Comedy routines were a natural success, but the nighclub staff wanted to diversify its showcase of talent," he continued, noting that Eleazar's serves only nonalcoholic drinks and is "extremely successful" when it comes to getting acts and filling the cafe every other Saturday. (Beer and wine are available in Collis at other times.)

"Collis represents a changing environment at Dartmouth," said John Hall, a senior who served for two years on the Governing Board. "It's a totally different atmosphere than had existed here before and people like it. Students are seeking more subtle alternatives to spending their weekends in raging fraternity basements."

Sadoff, the head of the Governing Board, stressed that while Collis may serve as an alternative to the fraternity and sorority system for some, it does not compete with the houses. Describing the relation- ship between Webster Avenue and Collis as "cooperative," he noted that Greek house members "have been actively involved in Collis since the Center's inception."

"The diversity of events is what brings so many people through the Collis doors," Hall remarked, adding that much of the credit for making Collis a place that was truly "Common Ground" for the students goes to Steve Nelson, the Center's director.

Collis Center staff and students also participate in various service projects for the community beyond the campus. Last year, for example, the group sponsored "Casino Night" for the "Children at Risk" program of the Dartmouth Medical School.

But perhaps the most significant of the Collis-based service activities is the Alcohol Peer Counseling Program, organized by concerned students four years ago to counter the excessive drinking that exists in some circles of the College.

"In six weeks, students learn about the psychological and physiological effects of drinking. They learn counseling skills, and can act as a resource for their peers," said Maureen Bunce, a Dartmouth senior who has been active in the program since her freshman year.

Part of this program is the Alcohol Outreach Road Show, a short skit performed in dorms and fraternities to educate students about the effects of having one too many.

That squat little brick building is the home of all kinds of activities and is a place for all kinds of people. In its first four years, the Center has exceeded all expectations, perhaps even filling the social needs of the campus too well. In short, Collis can be a great place for relaxing, but it can be a real nuisance when there's schoolwork to be done.

Farnsworth, one of the MAGAZINE'S twoundergraduate editors, will go to work for The Rutland Herald in the fall.