Hello there, friend! My name is Love and I am a '23. Aside from being on the pre-med track, I'm currently interested in studying math and public policy. I have a penchant for old things, learning languages, and the arts. I also love personality tests, irrespective of their actual validity—in case you're curious, I'm an INFJ, Scorpio, dragon, and type 2w1.
BIOL 11.07 (Major Events in the History of Life and the Human Genome) is a very unique class. We learn topics such as oxidative phosphorylation in conjunction with evolution and paleontology. In other words, where and when did ETC come from, and how can we support our hypothesis? Though not an easy class by far, every day the material I learn amazes me with the wonder of life, which is how biology should be!
MES 7.03 (Jerusalem: Vision and Reality) was my First-Year Seminar and such an interesting class to take! We explored Jerusalem through three main viewpoints (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The class had a bit of religion, literature, anthropology, sociology, and even geography—all things I love to study but don't necessarily have the space for with our three-class quarters. I often found myself going to office hours just to talk with my professor about questions I had outside of the reading!
COSC 10 (Problem Solving with Object-Oriented Programming) is a data structures course and the last pre-requisite for the computer science major. Though I added it as a fourth class on a whim because of COVID-19 and remote learning, it quickly became my favorite class this term because I loved the problem solving that CS has to offer. It is a difficult class but the emotional and academic rewards make it all worth it!
This was one of four classes I took during fall term and it was super interesting! We learned about healthcare systems and innovations from around 4 guest lecturers per week, and were able to do research on our own and propose a new system at the end of the term. Students came from all over campus and the course was very enlightening for me in terms of understanding how care is dispensed in the U.S. and how we can improve it.
Though this was my first "foundation" course in the Biology department and I still found it challenging, I really enjoyed learning the material and found it all super exciting! We learned about DNA replication, mRNA transcription and protein translation, genetics, and had the opportunity to do a literature review at the end of the term.
The dreaded Organic Chemistry sequence of my pre-med track came upon me faster than I thought it would, but it surprised me by being one of my favorite classes to date! I found it intellectually interesting (even though it was time-consuming), probably because I treated it like a STEM-and-logic puzzle instead of pure STEM or pure memorization. Am I great at it? Not necessarily. Do I remember everything I've learned? I'm not too sure! Am I mentally ready for Organic Chemistry 2 next term? Not at all! But I had a lot of fun doing this class and surprised even myself with how I tackled it.
I love dancing, story-telling, and learning about different cultures so I knew going into this course that I would enjoy it. Cross-listed in the theater and AAAS departments, this course let students have the privilege of working with Dance Theatre of Harlem members who were in Hanover for a summer residency. As a group, we analyzed a play ("The Purple Flower" by Marita Bonner) and transformed the text into a physical movement piece. Each student also had complete ownership of a personal final project, and I opted to do a self-choreographed dance. Overall, I loved getting the chance to work creatively in my academics this term and I also was able to broaden my perspective and knowledge of the African-American story in the process!
As a pre-med, I am constantly trying to learn more about the U.S medical system. This course was extremely engaging in all aspects, taking students through all of American history through the lens of healthcare within the span of 10 weeks. I particularly liked having a discussion session that replaced a lecture, since we were able to talk about the issues with the professor and think out loud about our readings. The course was definitely challenging and required a lot of synthesis across different time periods and topics, but I feel like I came out of it with a deeper and more profound understanding of our healthcare system and why it functions the way it does today.
WinterDetroit, MI
For my junior winter, I did an internship in clinical research! With COVID affecting so much of my college experience, this practical, in-person work internship was very important for me to not only hone my employable skills but also see what having a 8am - 5pm job looks like and how it could fit into my future.
Much like my other pre-med courses here at Dartmouth, Biochemistry was quite rigorous and fast-paced. It was certainly challenging, but I found the work extremely rewarding and I enjoyed learning about all the different mechanisms that happen inside of our bodies. Additionally, many of my friends were also in this class as well, rounding out final prerequisites for graduate school, and this fact made it all the more fun.
SummerDresden, Germany
For my junior summer, I had a research internship in Eastern Germany, working at the intersection between math, computer science, and biology! The learning curve was very steep since my project focus changed once I arrived in Europe, but I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about the content and myself. I am extremely thankful for all the support that Dartmouth has given me throughout my time here, without which I wouldn't have been able to do a 12-week European adventure!
As a pre-med student interested in health disparities, SOCY 75 was an amazing class to take! We covered numerous topics concerning how where one lives can impact their health outcomes. At the end of the course, students were also able to complete a final project of their choosing and I loved being able to tie my personal experiences into an academic course.
Throughout college, most of my science courses have been at the introductory level: one term of genetics, one term of cell structure, etc. Rarely have I had the chance to engage with something on a deeper level or connect the pre-med courses to human biology. This course was super interesting because I could finally connect everything I've learned throughout college into one cohesive course that connects to something I want to do post-Dartmouth.
Last week was week 8 of spring term at Dartmouth, which means only one thing: Green Key!
For the uninitiated, Green Key is a big event held during spring at Dartmouth, when the Collis Programming Board hosts a weekend-long music festival and invites artists to come to campus. In general Dartmouth lore, Green Key is one of three party weekends that happen on-campus during the school year, the other two being Homecoming in the fall and Winter Carnival in the winter. As a junior who started freshman year right before COVID, this year was my first year attending Green Key so I was very excited!
This year, Green Key kicked off with a Thursday night concert in Collis Commonground (a large gathering place in Collis Student Center) with some folk music, catered BBQ, and drinks and beer for those 21+. I liked the chance to learn about new artists especially—my friend and I got there in time to hear Chance Emerson perform and it was really fun,
Look at the glorious food! This event had really great turn-out overall, despite it being 9PM on a Thursday night.
The largest, eponymous "Green Key concert" usually happens Friday night on Gold Coast Lawn (near Tuck Drive). Tickets are free for students and the event is often closed off to outsiders due to safety concerns, so you are essentially going to a concert with 4,000 of your peers! This year's concert featured Doechii, KYLE, Saint Motel, and student band Moon Unit—the student band changes every year based on who wins a Battle of the Bands competition.
The Green Key crowd during the first hour of the show! The weather was perfect for an outdoor music festival and stayed pretty warm even when it got late. Some students stood in front of the stage (as shown in the picture), others sat on the ground a little further away, and still others listened to the concert from their dorm rooms!
On Saturday, smaller-scale concerts take place at Collis Porch, where food is also distributed each hour. The food is from a range of places often inaccessible from campus without a car. Popular items included Panera, ice cream, and samosas. 10 minutes away from campus, Dartmouth's Organic Farm traditionally hosts an event called Brewhaha, which has music, kombucha, and beer along with local food venders. This event is co-sponsored by the Sustainability Office, so students bring their own mugs for drinks! Additionally, students also take advantage of this "party weekend" and host their own events—many Greek houses held concerts, block parties, and cook-outs over the course of Green Key and advertised them to the student body via our listservs. One of my favorite parts about the Dartmouth social scene is that almost every big event is open to campus, and Green Key weekend is a fantastic time to go out and have fun with friends. Other places around campus such as the Hop also have regular programming during the weekend. This Saturday, I worked a shift as head usher for a screening of Everything Everywhere All at Once. It was actually one of my favorite parts! Lastly, the warm weather meant that a lot of people headed down to the river to canoe, swim, or paddleboard. If you've never been a fan of rivers, I think you will enjoy at least some aspect of it after visiting the Connecticut River.
Overall, Green Key can be a super invigorating experience, especially since the weather has finally begun to improve after a long winter and people see the end of the academic term just around the corner. Just the week before, we had freak thunderstorms and stress-inducing midterms, so I felt extremely ready for a change of pace. It was really fun to see so many people out-and-about, and I definitely think that Green Key has something for just about everyone—a mix of small town charm, metropolitan concert frenzy, warm weather, and some free food on top of it all!
There truly is something for everyone! Me and my friends are not really the type to enjoy overindulging in alcohol or being around a loud crowd for extended periods of time, so we spent the rest of Friday night cooking some food, playing some music, and enjoying each other's company.
My only big complaint this year might have been around event logistics, especially for transportation and food. However, I believe these problems will be resolved for future Green Keys since most of the planning board had never really actively participated in an event like this due to COVID and it is very likely that this made it difficult to do event management.
Still, even with long lines, it was a weekend to remember. Here's to counting down the days to Green Key 2023! Next up, finals!
With the beginning of Week 5 of spring term already upon us comes an outline of my schedule for the term. From trying new activities to settling into courses and club positions, this is what I've been up to during my most beloved term!
