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 response to recent deaths within the Dartmouth community, the school decided to have a "Day of Caring," which happened this past Friday, October 21st. This was a day to (to quote Dartmouth President Phillip J. Hanlon) "provide us all with much-needed respite and inspire new discussions and ideas for strengthening our Dartmouth community as we move forward together." It was a mandatory day off from classes with wellness-oriented activities and resources being highlighted on campus. This event was organized by and for Dartmouth students, staff, and faculty, alumni, and the greater Dartmouth Community.
Here's my student experience of how I spent my Day of Caring:
Sleeping In
Of my three classes, one is a 10 and one is a 10A – so every weekday I have class at 10:10am, which means I wake up between 7:00 and 8:00 to get ready, do some work, and have breakfast. I did this intentionally, because I'm not a morning person, and this schedule forces me to have productive mornings! All that being said, I absolutely took this day off from classes as an opportunity to sleep in and catch up on some much needed rest. Definitely started off my Day of Caring with a restful form of self-care!
Community Lunch in Reiss Hall!
Community Lunch
There was a community lunch hosted in Reiss Hall of Baker Library. I took the packaged meal outside and ate while doing some reading for my Shakespeare class. It was a very peaceful, calm start to my productive day!
U Rock!
Rock Painting on Berry Main Street
I took a break from reading and painted some colorful rocks with my friends. And I'm a big fan of puns…
Tea with the Tucker Center in Sanborn Library
I helped myself to a couple cups of Earl Grey as I read more Shakespeare!
Plants!
Plants!
Plants!
Donuts on Baker Lawn!
Desserts on Baker Lawn
Some Dartmouth alumni had gathered to hand out cinnamon donuts on Baker Lawn, and they were delicious! I grabbed an extra to share with a friend.
Yoga for Everybody
There was a beginner-friendly, meditative yoga session in Berry Library. Not my first time doing yoga this week either! I did another session with the Student Wellness Center earlier this week as well, and both were super fun!
Petting a Puppy!
Barn Buddies
Petting small, cute animals is a form of therapy in itself. Enough said.
Fall Foliage seen on my walk!
Walking Meditation
I listened to a guided meditation as I took a walk around campus. It was a great brain break with beautiful views. I truly can't get enough of the Dartmouth foliage.
The Rest of My Day
The organized activities ended around 3:00pm, and the rest of my day was doing schoolwork intermingled with some time hanging out with friends. My mind felt clearer than it had all week, and I was really glad for the breaks I had been able to take that morning. I was even able to crank out most of an essay that I had been struggling all week to write!
I hope in the future there can be more Days of Caring, for the sole sake of mental health maintenance and awareness, without it having to be preceded by tragedy. Overall, I love my school and I appreciate the steps Dartmouth is taking to encourage a healthier student body.
After a long winter term where everything was overlaid in snow and serenity, the weekly Norwich farmer's market is finally back—and I could not be more excited.
When I look back on my time at Dartmouth, and it is hard to believe I will be graduating in just two weeks, I know that Africa Week will always stand out as one of the moments when this campus felt most alive, most joyful, and most like home.
