Hi, welcome to the blog! I'm a junior from a small suburb in South Carolina, just outside of Augusta, Georgia. On campus (and virtually), I'm involved in club water polo, the America Reads program, and the TAMID student consulting group. In the classroom, I'm super excited to pursue my interest in improving the world through public policy by studying the intersection of government and economics. I hope you enjoy following along as I explore all that Dartmouth has to offer!
Coming into Dartmouth, I knew I wanted to explore the creative writing department and this poetry workshop was a great way to do that! We studied well known political, love, and ekphrastic poems and wrote our own work every week. I really appreciated the small class size the classroom became a safe community for sharing my work, and I was able to get individualized critiques from Professor Francis.
Introductory writing classes are required for every Dartmouth student, but there are a wide range of topics, which makes finding an interesting course super interesting. My class focused on the American education system and gave me a ton of freedom to choose my paper topics.
Media and Politics was a writing intensive class which fulfilled my first year seminar requirement. While honing our writing skills, we studied the impact of news media, advertising, and messaging on campaigns and policy making. The class inspired me to continue exploring the government department, where I eventually declared my major.
Growing up, I woke up every morning to the smell of my mom's brewing coffee. As I got older, I fell in love with the energy of coffee shops, especially local ones. I always meet someone friendly and feel super productive when I spend time supporting and studying in small shops. Luckily, I've found lots of great options in Hanover to fuel my constant coffee consumption.
Before I even matriculated, I visited Dirt Cowboy Café during Dartmouth's admitted student day. At the time I didn't know much about campus and was looking for something quick, so Dirt Cowboy's location just across the street for the center of campus made it super convenient! In addition to its great location, Dirt Cowboy is known for its wide variety of beverages and an atmosphere that great for conversations. Now, I usually visit when I'm catching up with the leader of my Bible study group. Because Dirt Cowboy is located in the center of the Hanover community, it's convenient for both of us and provides a good space for me to stay in touch with my spirituality.
One of my favorite spots for good coffee and good conversation!
The next local coffee shop I tried actually occurred during a class trip. In my freshman fall, I took an introductory poetry workshop, and one day, my professor sent me and my classmates to write poems in Umpleby's Bakery and Café. It is quiet, has spacious tables, and lots of outlets, so it was perfect for writing and is still one of my favorite spots when I want a quiet break from campus. Plus, the baked goods at Umpleby's are delicious and super affordable!
One of the newest small businesses in Hanover is the Still North Bookstore, which was opened this year by a Dartmouth alum! Still North is right off of Main Street and is only a seven-minute walk from my dorm (that's the beauty of the small-town life)! This term, I'm done with classes everyday around 12, so I spend a lot of afternoons at Still North doing work and enjoying their iced coffee. They have sofas, yummy food, a puzzle table, and are open until 10 pm, so it's perfect for long study sessions. Plus, I almost always see a friend or professor, so Still North feels like an extension of the Dartmouth community.
This is KAF, which is just inside the entrance to Baker-Berry Library.
Finally, when I'm craving coffee or pastries on campus, I visit the King Arthur Flour café. KAF, as we like to call it, is super popular with students because it's covered by our meal plans and offers fresh food and drinks. It is also inside the main library on campus, so it's super convenient to stop by between classes or in the middle of studying.
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a phenomenal total solar eclipse occurred — and we happened to be within the path of totality. As a result, Dartmouth hosted a variety of eclipse-related events on- and off-campus. Find out how I spent the eclipse!
