What's up! My name is Brandon and I'm a '25 from a small town outside of Chicago. I am passionate about Middle Eastern culture, politics, history, and languages; I'm particularly interested in studying gender/sexuality, politics of exhibition, and counterculture in the Arab Gulf. My current hobbies are reading, playing the mandolin, audio design, eating spicy foods, and streetwear. Please enjoy these snapshots of my life in Hanover!
As a freshman on campus, the sheer amount of activities available on campus can be daunting. Go figure - Dartmouth is full of interesting people who create awesome groups and student organizations! As I approach the midpoint of my fall term, I'd like to reflect on some of the student organizations and activities I've been able to enjoy, and give some details about what extracurriculars are like at Dartmouth.
Towards the beginning of the academic year, all of Dartmouth's clubs and student organizations hosted a club fair on the green. With tables lined up side-by-side and enthusiastic student representatives running them, the event was full of energy and was incredibly helpful in helping me decide which activities I thought I would be interested in. So, if you're nervous about planning what sort of student organizations you want to join on campus, don't be; there's plenty of time to experiment and learn about all the opportunities available. On top of the club fair, all student organizations send out emails to the entire student body giving information about club meeting dates and locations. This helped me remember when different clubs were going on and eliminate any confusion and forgetfulness - it also led to a packed inbox. In a good way!
Here's a picture of what the Student Involvement Fair looks like!
One of the first student organizations I got involved with was the World Outlook Journal. World Outlook is a student-run international relations journal that receives submissions from PhD and graduate students from universities around the world. It's up to us to sort through these submissions and decide which ones we would like to publish in the journal; at our last meeting, I read through a thesis on Indian economic conditions written by a graduate student from the University of Delhi. Being able to be involved and responsible for advanced academic writing is very exciting, and I can't wait to help publish our journal this term!
Arabic club is another activity that has helped me unwind and meet new people. Once a week, we've been able to meet and talk about different topics relating to the Arabic-speaking world, try Middle Eastern snacks and tea, and talk about Dartmouth-related things that upperclassmen can give helpful advice about. As somebody who is passionate about the Middle East and studying Arabic, this has been a great outlet to learn about these subjects, as well as meeting people who share my interest.
Like most colleges, Dartmouth has some student groups that you have to apply or audition for. As somebody who enjoys writing and wants to improve my ability to do so, I applied to be an opinion columnist on The D, the completely student-run newspaper on campus. After being lucky enough to get in, crafting my first article has been a super rewarding experience and I can't wait to publish it soon!
Dartmouth has a wide array of clubs and activities; there's definitely something for everyone. Furthermore, getting involved in nearly any activity is incredibly accessible. I can't wait to get more involved in my activities and update you guys on the cool stuff that I'll be able to get into!
It's not every day that my Intro to Chinese Culture and Understanding the Universe classes were both canceled, but the cosmos had other plans. Welcome to a rare weekday in my life with no classes!
However, as I conclude my junior winter and prepare for my last few terms at Dartmouth, I've realized that this has been one of my most fulfilling and gratifying terms at Dartmouth.
