A Tropical Heart in Hanover!

Antônio's D-Plan

- FallOn campus
  Favorite Class: SPAN 20: Writing and Reading
  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!
- WinterOn campus
  Favorite Class: THEA 10.68: Staging Rebellion
  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.
- SpringOn campus
  Favorite Class: NAS 30.25: Intro Indigenous Languages
  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.
- FallMadrid, Spain
  Favorite Class: SPAN 36: Urban Identities
  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!
- WinterOn campus
  Favorite Class: NAIS42: Gender Topics in Native American Life
  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!
- SpringOn campus
  Favorite Class: NAIS 30.26 Indigenous Geographies
  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.
- FallOn campus
  Favorite Class: SPAN43.07: Spooky Spain
  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.
- WinterNew Zealand & Cook Islands
  Favorite Class: LING54: Foreign Study in Linguistics
  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.
- SpringOn campus
  Favorite Class: SPAN50.06: Framing Gender and Ecology
  Before this class, I had no idea what visual and cultural studies actually encompassed. Every chat with Prof. Broner opened my eyes to a different analysis or method for interpreting literature, and for that, I feel truly lucky! We got to discuss films made by Indigenous women from all over Latin America, exposing the class to distinct ways of interacting with and stewarding the environment.

A Tropical Heart in Hanover!

Milton Hatoum is one of my favourite authors. He is a Manaus-based Lebanese-Brazilian writer who attempts to capture the essence of Arab diasporas in South America. My mom had one of his quotes as a catchphrase when I was growing up, using it to refer to our family's own time adapting to tropical Brazil after moving from Levantine Lebanon. It goes along the lines of "no matter where the children of the Mediterranean walk, they will always be stepping on beach sand."

Now that I'm back to campus, away from my home in the tropics and from the Mediterranean I also learnt to call home during my FSP, this truly resonates with me.

I remember last winter term wasn't the best time of my Dartmouth experience. I struggled in a multitude of ways: the weather made me want to stay in the whole day, I didn't have the guts to do any physical activity nor to socialise, and — even geared with appropriate clothing — I despised being out in the cold. All of this culminated in both mental and emotional tolls, making it hard for me to appreciate my time at Dartmouth.

Honestly, I considered not coming back this term. I wanted to be away for as many winters as I could. Actually, I was meant to be in New Zealand — but I dropped out of that study abroad program as a way to prove myself that yes, I can survive Hanover's drastic weather. I am here, and here is how I survive:

No. 1
Make yourself at home!

In my new room, I am very lucky to have a lot of space to decorate. I filled my walls with posters and finally got my plants back from Catharine, my friend who was serving as a host mom while I was away. No doubts I've managed to make this place look, smell, and feel like home. This is a big differential when trying to survive the outside weather!
No. 2
Commit to activities, even if indoors!

For me, this one item is a bit of a two-birds-one-stone situation. Although I've decided to not dance this term, I am taking vinyasa yoga classes, which count towards my PE credit! Yes, Dartmouth students have to take PE courses, but this is more fun than it sounds, I promise!
No. 3
Surround yourself with your support network!

Bring your friends into the scene!

One of the reasons I decided to drop my second FSP and not stay abroad for three terms was having realised that it would have been too much time away from the people I care about. I needed to be here this term, both for them and for myself :)