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.
Dartmouth is a very, very walkable campus. My entire first year here, I scoffed at people who thought they needed a bike to get around. Okay, not really, but I definitely didn't think I needed one!
I moved my stuff from Amarna and into Phi Tau at the end of the spring term, because I knew I'd be living there over the summer (folks don't live in Amarna over the summer). And even though I'd be living in Tau, I still went to Amarna for weekly meetings and often just to hang out with the other members there.
Unfortunately, the walk from Phi Tau to Amarna is 15 minutes on a good day. And I'm a slower-than-average walker, to put it kindly. And, if I may say so myself, I am a busy person! I don't always have 15 minutes to leisurely stroll from one event to another.
So… thus began my search for a bike. Which took about an hour. I talked to some of my graduating senior friends, and several were willing, if not eager, to part with their bike. I accepted the offer of the one who was ready to be rid of it ASAP, because I wanted it ASAP.
Thus, I met my first problem: he hadn't used it in ages, and the chain was completely rusted. Thankfully, Dartmouth has a Pop-Up Bike Shop (through Dartmouth Sustainability) that hosts open office hours around once a week, which provides free and low-cost service repairs done by fellow students. I showed up one sunny Monday afternoon and left with a fixed chain and a new lease on life for only $15. Then, I had the priceless experience of the wind flowing through my hair as I rode from Phi Tau to Amarna in less than five minutes.
Despite the walkability of Dartmouth, having a bike has been a game-changer for me. I can zip across campus in minutes, making early morning classes and back-to-back meetings a breeze. It's helped me reclaim a few extra minutes in between events, which is split about evenly between additional rest and additional productivity.
Another aspect of having a bike that I don't take for granted is that I have total peace of mind regarding its security. In my experience, our campus is incredibly safe for storing bikes. Whether I use a bike lock or not, I've never had any issues with theft or vandalism. I'm relieved to know that I can leave my bike outside the library or my dorm without constantly worrying about its safety.
In hindsight, getting a bike on a walkable campus has been one of my best decisions while at Dartmouth. At the same time, I'm glad I didn't come to Dartmouth with a bike right off the bat. I think my time spent leisurely walking around campus made me appreciate the beauty of this school, and I wouldn't trade that for anything…
Except maybe the extra five minutes of sleep I get before going to Latin at 9 am. But to each their own!
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!
