Hi! My name is Arianna (or Ari) and I'm a '27 at Dartmouth from Georgia. My aim is to pursue a degree in Government (modified with English or Sociology) and attend law school. I love reading, watching A24 movies, listening to music, hanging out with my friends, and meeting new people. Follow along with me through this blog as I traverse my wonderful experiences at Dartmouth!
Academic Program
Economics or Government as my major with a minor in Public Policy
Given my intrigue in pursuing a major in Government, I adored my Politics and AI class. I had zero background in computer science, yet Professor Breuer cohesively connected politics with principles of algorithms and artificial intelligence in a way that I could understand. We finalized the course by doing a cool research project of our own liking.
I am interested in pursuing a minor in Public Policy, which was my reason for taking this class initially. As the term progressed, I was able to learn most of the introductory principles of Public Policy and the framework for policymaking in democratic governance. The readings were interesting, and the discussion-based lectures kept me engaged.
Wow...what an amazing class! This has been one of my favorite classes that I have taken the entire year. Professor Chaney encouraged us to expand our writing through a multitude of methods of analysis, allowing students to look beyond the details of a photograph. Our ideas were not discouraged or disproved, leaving room for proper evaluative learning and prompting discussions about interesting moments in black art history.
If you asked any undergraduate student at Dartmouth about their favorite aspect of spring term, most people would say "Green Key." A fun spring concert curated by the student body's Programming Board, Green Key features two famous music artists to perform on Gold Coast Lawn near Tuck Drive. The artists are generally voted on through a survey sent to all the undergraduates' inbox and can range from a variety of different artists. This year, we were able to enjoy Jamaica's very own, Shaggy, and New York rapper Young M.A. Prior to these artists' appearances, one of our student bands, Read Receipts, and a student DJ group, Vivachae, performed.
As the performance this year occurred during the Friday of week 7 out of Dartmouth's 10-week term, I finished all my homework early in the week to fully enjoy the weekend's festivities. My friends and I went to a band performance happening a few hours before the concert, and it was one of my favorite memories to say the least.
The actual concert began at 7pm that day, and the atmosphere felt like a music festival. Bubbles floated around the crowd, strobe lights shone up in the sky, and the speakers reverberated through the air. My favorite part of the concert was hearing Shaggy perform "It Wasn't Me." As a Jamaican, I grew up listening to his songs with my family. Hearing him perform my childhood songs live on my college campus was a highlight of my freshman spring. In this new phase of my life, it seemed as though a little bit of home had paid me a visit.
A selfie of Shaggy that he captured on my friend's phone at the concert.
The next day, a few Greek organizations held barbecues for the campus to enjoy. Students were lounging and mingling as the aroma of cooked food permeated the air. My friends and I went to the Connecticut River afterward, a handful of us either reading, listening to music, or kayaking. At the boathouse by the river, it is easy to use kayaks and canoes for any duration of time at no rental fee. Upriver from the Ledyard Bridge (beyond the boathouse and the swim docks), the Ledyard Canoe Club rents out canoes and kayaks. The Club arranges a number of competitive and leisurely paddling events and provides instruction in the usage of this equipment for PE credit or simply for fun. As I sat at a picnic table by the river, I had a strong sensation of belonging.
The Connecticut River was bustling with activity, many people kayaking and canoeing from the boat dock.
My first Green Key weekend was spectacular and reminded me of why I chose to attend Dartmouth. The community of wonderful people that I was surrounded by throughout this weekend allowed me to fully enjoy the campus's spring festivities. Excellent music, exciting social gatherings, and tranquil natural beauty all came together to create an experience that will never be forgotten. In the future, I hope to attend a lot more Green Key weekends.
What an incredible spring! This term was undoubtedly my favorite that I've experienced thus far, and as I wait to board a flight back to campus for a highly anticipated Sophomore Summer, I reflect on everything that allowed this spring term to bloom.
I lived on the same dorm floor as the GIS LLC (Living Learning Community) this year. I asked some of my floormates about their experience with it so that you can hopefully get a holistic sense of what GIS is like!
