Antônio Jorge Medeiros Batista Silva
You are here
My Cake Recipe
It took me a bit of reflection to decide whether I wanted to start this post (my first one!) by saying Hello, Ei, Marhaba, or Ererré - a greeting in Krenak, my family's Indigenous language.
Ever since I got to Dartmouth a couple of weeks ago, I had the chance to meet people who, like me, come from the most unexpected backgrounds and have the most unexpected stories to share. Because of this, introducing myself has started to feel almost like a scripted line I repeat every now and then when I bump into an unknown face. It's like a cake recipe. For my blog, however, I wanted to be sure it feels genuine. So here it goes:
My name is Antônio and I'm originally from Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais - when trying to explain, I usually go with "somewhere between Rio and São Paulo." I play safe just in case the person I'm talking to is not familiar with South American geography. I was born to a half Lebanese mother and to a mixed Native father - but, for the past two years, I've been bouncing back and forth between Canada, Brazil, and Angola. At Dartmouth, I hope to study Linguistics and Theatre. Extracurricular-wise, I am really interested in joining the campus radio and getting involved with the theatre and dance scene.
So far, my time on campus has been incredible! I would be lying if I said the College's scenic location was not one of the main reasons I chose to apply here. Although I grew up moving from city to city, I have never been surrounded by such a pretty and unique landscape.
This does not mean my adaptation to Dartmouth's geography has been easy though - and I am not even talking about the fact I get lost every Tuesday leaving my Spanish class!
As a citizen of the tropics, even the sunny days of autumn in Hanover have been forcing me to carry a jacket in my backpack. You might be wondering "why would I purposefully choose such an extremely cold part of the world to live in?" And I am glad to tell you that I have the perfect answer to that question!
The moment I set foot on campus, I glimpsed at what my next four years at Dartmouth would be like. Dozens of international students disembarking from the same bus - greeting each other and already making their first friends at college; upperclassmen welcoming us and offering to carry our overpacked suitcases to the dorms; ISPOP (International Student Pre-orientation Program) and NSO (New Student Orientation) staff handing out information leaflets and program schedule. I was home.
Now, as I learn to navigate the college - both the campus and its welcoming social scene - I am met with nothing but excitement for my next four years. And, by the way, I hope you will stick around to see what I'll be up to next week.
Posts You Might Like
From orientation week to your classes, you can easily find community at Dartmouth! Read on to know how I met my Dartmouth family and where you might also find yours.
A recount of the wonderful experience of returning to campus to find my Greek brotherhood still thriving.
Here's how I reconnected with Alumni Gym and found a routine that actually works.
Reflecting on faith at Dartmouth as someone who grew up agnostic yet spiritual!
As an international student, I was hesitant to join Greek Life, but I found a welcoming community. Now, as a junior, I hope to help others find their place too.
"What's it like working for admissions?" "Are you being truthful with your answers?" "Are you being scripted?" Let's dive right into all these questions.
A summer of full-time cognitive science research at PhilLab!
As an international student who has lived in East Asia for her whole life, this is how I connect with my home cultures through student associations at Dartmouth!
Foreign language drill sessions gather small groups of students three times a week to practice speaking their target language. I'm a French drill instructor, so read on to learn about French drill.