Ei! My name is Antônio Jorge Medeiros Batista Silva (yes—four last names!) and I'm a '25 from Governador Valadares, Brazil. My journey to Dartmouth has crossed two continents, three countries, and over 10 schools—and I'm a strong believer that everyone's path to the Big Green was unique in a way. At Dartmouth, I am interested in studying Linguistics, Native American & Indigenous Studies, and Spanish. I am really passionate about social justice, learning languages, and the oxford comma!
This class is an introduction to the Spanish minor and major courses and, although I did not expect to particularly like it, it not only turned out to be my favourite but it made me start considering a degree in the department!
In this class, we analysed different productions of Latinx American theatre. Prof. Analola Santana was probably the best person I met this year at Dartmouth. Being her student was a very important experience as I try to navigate my potential majors and minors.
In this class, I was able to carve time out of my busy Dartmouth schedule to study and learn my Indigenous language: Krenak. With the help of Prof. Gokke, all students were encouraged to develop a final project that spoke to their community's needs for language learning and revitalisation. It was an extremely important class for me, not only academically, but also for my personal healing process.
I had the honour of spending my sophomore fall in Madrid, taking part in the Spanish FSP. There, Prof. Martín was not only a great professor, responsible for my favourite lecture of the program, but also an incredible company throughout our classes and in-country trips. Great way to wrap up my Spanish minor, honestly!
This was my second class in the NAIS department, and thus it took me one step closer to wrapping up my major. Nonetheless, it was Prof. Powell's genuine charisma and caring personality that made it my favourite of the term!
This course was definitely life changing! Prof. Pochedley, a visiting post-doc of the Potawatomi nation did a great job at keeping the students engaged while teaching us to see the land we inhabit as a source of knowledge and spirituality. In a majority Indigenous classroom, we got to develop individual projects related to our traditional homelands, learning to navigate the world through Native world lenses.
Prof. Gómez is one of those profs I've always wanted to take a class with. His work with the Horror genre in Modern Spanish literatures amazes me, and it was an honour to guide in-class discussions and develop my own research on the themes of science, testimony, and fear.
LING54 is an umbrella course: the actual content of the course may vary each year, but it is the common letter-number code to refer to the course taught abroad by your accompanying Dartmouth Linguistics professor. In this year's Linguistics Foreign Study Program (FSP), LING54 was a 'Language Documentation' class, wonderfully taught by Prof. David Peterson.
There is no doubt that one of the most attractive things about Dartmouth is its unique natural landscape. It is almost impossible while walking around campus not to reflect on the incredible setting surrounding us. Even my daily commute to Anonymous Hall—where the Linguistics Department is headquartered—feels like a scenic route. Moreover, there is something about the autumn weather that makes me so happy. It's not hot like the summer, but we're still far from Hanover's cold winter. The occasional rain bothers my inner tropical child, but it helps set the mood for studying. Fall term (or autumn, if you speak my variation of English) has, so far, been a great mix of indoor and outdoor scenes. You can enjoy campus facilities to their fullest—both under the sun and inside, under my blanket.
Something I've been trying to do since last spring term—which was the last time I was on campus—is going on regular runs. Creating a routine that includes physical activity made a huge difference in my life. Waking up early to jog to Pine Park and back before classes really sets me in a better mood for studying and working afterward. Honestly, I am not sure this is something I'll be able to continue throughout the winter term. But, since I won't be on campus for that term, I decided not to worry about that just now. For the moment, I'll keep on enjoying the weather to its fullest. When I'm back in the spring, I hope to be able to keep up with this healthier lifestyle the fall term has provided me.
The profound sense of place I acquired during these two years at Dartmouth is something I never expected before. Never had I felt like I belonged in a biome that was so different from my native one—and I couldn't be happier about it.
It's easy to forget how easy it is to access walking trails during the hustle of a Dartmouth term. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how special it is to step off campus and enjoy quiet moments in nature.
With a solar eclipse sweeping across North America for the first time in nearly seven years on April 8th came a road-trip with hundreds of other Dartmouth students to a zone of totality near campus: St. Johnsbury, Vermont!
Over half of Dartmouth students study abroad at least once during their undergraduate journeys—quite a high percentage, right? Do you want to know how to best prepare for your own abroad experience? Come check what it was like for me.
