Howdy, y'all! I'm Alex, a queer and trans student from Tennessee. This year I'm involved with a lot: I'm serving as the Production Manager for the Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals, acting as Social Chair for Amarna, rushing Phi Tau, giving tours on campus, exploring the offerings of the Dartmouth Outing Club, joining Farm Club, getting more involved with the O-Farm and sustainability on campus, and generally enjoying my second year here at Dartmouth!
As a theater-kid-turned-English-major who already loved Shakespeare before taking this class, highlighting this as my favorite class of the term is a no-brainer. This class is completely accessible to anyone who is has never read Shakespeare while still being an engaging class for seasoned Shakespeare enthusiast. Class time is mostly devoted to discussion of the texts, and I feel like I came out of the class with a strengthened ability to analyze the themes present in Shakespeare's works as well as a better comprehension of the nuances of language used in the plays.
Before this class, my experience on the technical side of theater was severely limited. I've been acting onstage for a decade, and even though I knew that productions would be impossible without what goes on behind the scenes, actually learning how to DO what goes on behind the scenes was another experience entirely. THEA 40 is an incredibly fun and informative class, and I can confidently say I have a much more comprehensive understanding of what it takes to make a show come together. And next term, I'll have to opportunity to apply my new knowledge and skills as Production Manager for the Rude Mechanicals, Dartmouth's student-run Shakespeare company! I can't wait!
In this class we read stage plays through various lenses. These lenses comprised a general overview of the different readings of a play necessary in order to get it from script to stage: reading as actors, writers, directors, designers, dramaturgs, etc. I had an amazing time I feel my foundation of theater knowledge has been enhanced by what I learned in this class! I've been able to apply this knowledge as I continue to read and write plays in my spare time.
I took this class to fulfill one of my distributive requirements, but it ended up being my favorite class this term. I found the readings fascinating, the lectures engaging, and the group work super enjoyable (we were assigned to stream video games a couple hours per week!). Despite the large class size (100+ students) the lectures remained engaging and the professor made sure to hold weekly office hours to get to know as many of the students as possible; he even brought donuts sometimes! Overall, if this class were a video game, I’d hit replay as soon as the credits rolled.
If you're reading this, you're probably a prospective student researching Dartmouth. If you've been on this research track for awhile, you might have heard that Greek life at Dartmouth is a very prominent part of the social scene. This is true. This blog post will not be about Greek life, because I'm assuming you've already heard about it ad nauseam.
But! Did you know there are non-Greek residential communities at Dartmouth? Well there are!
Have you heard of Amarna? No? Let's change that!
What is Amarna?
Amarna is a gender-inclusive residential and social organization with no rush or pledge process for new members; joining is as easy as being in the house and saying, "I want to join Amarna!"
Amarna is a space and community that values diversity: "We embrace, affirm and appreciate individuality and diversity with respect to gender, race, color, ethnicity, class, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, and lifestyle."
Chalk Art — Amarna Will Always Be Your Home
Social Events
Amarna has lots of social events throughout the term!
Monday Night Dinners
Every Monday at 6:30pm, Amarna hosts open dinners — people can RSVP whether or not they are residents and enjoy a free, home-cooked meal prepared by one of our members. (There is space on the RSVP form to list any dietary restrictions, which will be accommodated.)
Weekly Meetings
If you are a member of Amarna, you are encouraged to come to the weekly meetings. These happen Wednesday evenings, and though there are usually a couple of business-related things to get through, there are also board games, snacks, and fun socializing!
Wine and Cheese
One social event Amarna does every term is Wine and Cheese! Members and non-member alike are invited to drink wine (if 21+) and eat cheese (any age).
Queer Tails
A "tails" event at Dartmouth is a party, but with a theme! For example: this term's Queer Tails theme is 'Pirates & Navy' (corresponding with this year's Winter Carnival Theme), and last term's was 'Be Gay, Do Crime.' Amarna's tails are specifically called 'Queer Tails' — but you don't have to be queer to attend.
Other Events
Amarna hosts other random events each term: PowerPoint parties, trips to New England's largest corn maze, you name it!
Amarnites at a Corn Maze!
People and Community
Amarna is a gender-inclusive, queer-friendly space. Does this mean every member of Amarna is queer or trans? No! But it certainly contains the highest concentrations of queer and trans students I've found at Dartmouth outside of the Theater or WGSS (Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) departments. It's a very queer, artsy, and accepting community.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
Homecoming—a time when current students and alumni gather to relive cherished memories and exhibit large amounts of school spirit. Find out how I spent my second Homecoming Weekend at Dartmouth!
