Griselda Chavez

The Sherman Art Library is connected to Baker-Berry Library and contains a variety of information about subjects like Art History and Studio Art. It is my favorite part of our main library, Baker-Berry, because the walls are full of books, and the artificial lighting, as well as the natural lighting, helps me stay focused. Moreover, the room is always quiet, allowing me to stay on task and feel like I am in my own world. 

I couldn't choose only one dessert for this category! FoCo, '53 Commons, Dartmouth's dining hall is usually always great with desserts. They tend to be warm and there is always something new! Both their apple dumplings and churros are great desserts because they are always ready and warm for whenever I need to grab a quick bite. During these times, you will usually see me stashing extra desserts for later. 

I have been on-campus for all of my freshman year except for summer, and have gotten to experience fall twice. Based on what I have experienced so far, I would say fall is my favorite season to spend on campus because there is a lot more sunlight than the other seasons --- even when it gets to cooler temperatures! Moreover, I enjoy seeing the fall foliage because the colors are beautiful, and I feel like students tend to not feel as drained since the academic year has just begun. Lastly, there are so many delicious warm treats to compliment the weather! 

WHY? After taking ECON 1 my freshman spring and thinking I wanted to major in economics, I decided to take another course that focused more on my concentration rather than taking another prerequisite for the major. My interests lie in public economics and this class has made me certain that the track and major are a proper suit for me. 

FAVORITE THING: I enjoy our class discussions the most because I get to learn from my classmates and why our opinions differ from each other. Hearing about their concerns helps me understand and consider issues I would have never thought about while advocating for a policy. 

WHY? At Dartmouth, there are “distributive and world requirements” we have to complete and one of them is taking a course that is considered to be TMV (Systems and Traditions of Thought, Meaning, and Value). Philosophy classes tend to be categorized as TMVs. Therefore, I decided to take a class that intersects with economics and see if I could make connections with both of my courses. 

FAVORITE THING: I enjoy talking to other classmates about the various theories we read about in class. It’s cool to see what arguments they consider to be plausible and understand how philosophers have shaped the way our government functions in the United States. Moreover, talking to other classmates helps me understand the material more since everything is very new to me, and it is difficult for me to always be questioning philosophers’ validity. 

WHY? After deciding I wanted to minor in Environmental Science, I started creating a layout of classes I had to take and ENVS 3 was one of the requirements. I decided to take this class earlier since it is only offered once a year and wasn’t sure whether I would have space during my fall term. 

FAVORITE THING: The class is structured as a lecture with more than 100 students. Therefore, group discussions are more difficult compared to other classes. However, the readings and material of the class are always very interesting and informative because environmental problems are tackled through several lenses of social science disciplines. I like how there are two professors with similar and differing teaching styles which keeps the class entertaining.

For some students, dorm buildings can be a great place for studying! Depending on the building you are in, you can have large common rooms to work in. My dorm building, Streeter (part of Allen House), does not have the best studying environment but across the street from me there is Fahey (part of West House) and it’s great! There is a porch where I can sit down to take in some extra sunlight and see some fall foliage with just the perfect amount of outside noise. Because the sun has been setting earlier, I have taken advantage of enjoying as much warmth as I can while I have the opportunity. There are also common study areas on each floor which makes it convenient for students living in the building to have a study area accessible to them at all times. 

Sanborn Library is home to the English Department and is a nice study area for when you want to feel very warm, cozy, and motivated. Before COVID-19, there was also a time specifically for students and faculty to enjoy some tea and cookies. The study area is super quiet and has the right amount of sunlight in the morning – a perfect environment for writing philosophy papers. My only complaint is that the internet connection can be a bit poor throughout the day. 

The Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences was one of the main attractions of Dartmouth for me but was closed last year. Therefore, it is especially nice to be able to finally step in, take econ classes, and utilize it as a study area. I enjoy spending time here because there are several comfortable couches where I can review class material prior to office hours or classes. Most of my friends tend to be in the STEM field, so it is uncommon for us to be hanging out at Rocky, but I enjoy spending my time here and familiarizing myself with professors and classmates in the social sciences.