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.
I have experienced summer, fall, and winter weather at Dartmouth, but hadn't experienced proper spring weather until this week, when the sun re-emerged and the temperatures rose to the 60°s-80°s (Fahrenheit – in Celsius, that would be about 15-25°). Being from Tennessee, it was the type of weather that started to remind me of home.
Disclaimer: as I start describing the beauty of a burgeoning spring, don't think it's because I hate winter. Dartmouth is utterly beautiful in the idyllic, snowy wintertime. That being said, once the snow melts and leaves behind brown grass and barren trees, everyone starts a subconscious countdown awaiting the greener, more vibrant springtime. And that countdown has finally reached 00:00: green buds have appeared on the trees, tulips and other flowers are popping up, the green grass has overtaken dead brown patches, and the Green (the grass-covered field in the heart of campus) is earning its name back.
Speaking of the Green: it has been the busiest spot on campus this week, with groups and individuals alike flocking to the quad for a variety of activities. Many have made use of the space for recreational athletics: spikeball and frisbee being the most popular, with volleyball and football (both kinds) making the occasional appearance as well. Sitting in Sanborn Library the other day, I watched a passionate game of football (non-American) partially played out on Baker Lawn – not the Green, but then again, more square footage is needed for a proper game of football than the crowded Green may have allowed. The Green and its surrounding areas have also been a popular study spot this week – I'm partial to the porch and patio of the Collis Student Center, and have done hours of classwork there this week. In addition to sports and studies, I've also seen numerous picnics; green2go's, the reusable to-go containers provided by Dartmouth Dining, have been the saving grace of many picnickers this week. Hoping to have a picnic of my own, I've added "get a picnic blanket from CVS" to my weekend to-do list. Even without a blanket though, I took advantage of the benches scattered around the perimeter of the Green to have an outdoor dinner with a friend.
I've also started to witness other consequences of the fair weather – the dramatic increase in the population of sunburnt individuals, for one (my current CVS list: blanket, sunscreen). In a similar vein, the campus attire has changed overnight. Sundresses, sunglasses, and shorts have been dragged out of closets and drawers and worn once more. Blundstones and Sorrels have been traded for Chacos and Birks.
Dartmouth Outing Club trips were in higher demand this week as well. Thursday, which boasted the highest temperatures of the week, found many people at the Connecticut River (on the west end of campus) to take the first dip of the season, myself included: the water was certifiably freezing. I was in for less than 10 seconds, but a memory was made nonetheless.
Unfortunately, temperatures are predicted to drop in the week ahead, plunging us right back into the 40°s and 50°s Fahrenheit (Celsius, 5-10°). Still, I'm more excited than ever for the warmth to return, and to experience the rest of springtime at Dartmouth.
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!
