Hi, my name is Brandon and I'm a '25 from just outside of Chicago. I study Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies, and am involved with multimedia journalism and videography on campus. I am passionate about documentary filmmaking and using film as a tool to present lived human experiences in subjective visual, aesthetic, and sonic terms. In my free time, I love to spend time with my cat, follow the Chicago Bulls, and study Arabic. Please enjoy these snapshots of my life in Hanover!
This was definitely my favorite class of fall term—the readings were heavy, but they all felt incredibly relevant to the coursework. For each class, we read both Jewish and Arab perspectives throughout history. Moreover, Professor Avishai has a vast network of connections with important members of Israeli government, and even figures who we read about in the history books (including former prime ministers!). Overall, that class was a lot of work but very effective in helping me understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Professor Smolin's lectures were always something for me to look forward to. In this intro class, a wide variety of subjects regarding the Arab world were covered. Topics such as culture, Islam, literature, poetry, politics, and history were covered from the pre-Islamic period to the more recent Arab Spring. The readings were fascinating, and the professor also incorporated a wide variety of video resources to accompany the readings. I loved this class!
I found myself regularly engrossed in Professor Fishere's lectures in Arab Political Thought. Tracking the development of political ideologies from the 1800s until today was fascinating, the discussion-based classes helped me get to know tons of my peers.
While in Morocco this summer, I had the chance to take intensive Arabic 21 and Arabic 22. Working with a local teacher, Ilham, I had the chance to study both standard Arabic and Moroccan Arabic .My favorite part of the class was the opportunity to engage with the language in cafes and shops.
Ancient Greek & Roman Philosophy was definitely a class that took me out of my comfort zone. Having never taken a class on philosophy, I had lots of fun studying readings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Furthermore, I liked that the class focused heavily on group-work, with weekly group meetings and write-ups being a critical component of the class.
This class made me think critically about how we use different media, and how different media use us. I always considered media and technology as tools we use to navigate life, but never thought about the ways that media influence us and perceptions of the self. Taking this course inspired me to be involved more with digital humanities in order to think critically about how different media can alter the meaning of a message.
I had a great spring term living in Kuwait while interning at the American University of Kuwait! Working as an intern with the Oral History Project and International Relations departments, I met many amazing friends and gained experience with oral history and digital humanities. As someone who wants to continue doing research on the Arab Gulf, this experience was incredibly valuable.
Filmmaking & Visual Culture was about the intersection of filmmaking and anthropology, and I really enjoyed the course. The course looked at film through a post-colonial lens, thinking about how it can be used as a tool to tell stories, empower communities, and challenge structural violence. As a final project, we were required to make our own films with the broad requirement that they had to tell some kind of story or narrative. Having this sort of creative freedom was lots of fun: I did a short film project about a farmer in the Upper Valley.
This was the first science course that I had ever taken at Dartmouth, and I actually really enjoyed it. The course was focused on being able to identity the names and functions of the bones and muscles in the human body: we covered a lot of ground in a short 10-week term. In addition to studying human anatomy, we also studied the anatomy of monkeys and chimps, comparing their evolutionary trends to those of humans. We also had the chance to visit the Geisel School of Medicine cadaver lab on multiple occasions to review for exams, which was definitely a unique experience. Overall, I'm glad I took the opportunity to go outside of my comfort zone a little bit with this class!
I love to make and watch documentaries, so taking ethnographic film was a great way to look at filmmaking in academic, anthropological terms. We watched and analyzed many documentary films throughout the course, considering factors like documentary ethics, filmmaking style, and multi-media approaches. We also did a lot of critical media analysis, looking at how the medium of a piece of work impacts the message it is trying to convey. Additionally, we were able to work on and submit our own short documentary films as final projects for the course.
One of my favorite parts about Dartmouth is that you can find funding to do just about anything related to your academic or extracurricular goals. This past weekend, I received funding from the Hopkins Center for the Arts to attend HotDocs, North America's largest documentary film festival, in Toronto. In this post, I want to share my experience and also give some insight into funding opportunities for unique opportunities like this one.
I spent four days in Toronto, and in that time I watched 11 films at the festival! One of my favorite parts about the experience was that the films' directors were available for Q&A sessions after each screening – being able to get a deeper understanding of how the documentary was produced was incredibly rewarding. Also, just being in the space of a prestigious film festival was inspirational and valuable; it was lots of fun to be surrounded by others passionate about watching and creating documentaries.
Another valuable aspect of the trip was exploring Toronto for the first time. The city was great, with beautiful scenery, great food, and lots of distinct neighborhoods. Dartmouth has enabled me to visit so many cities around the world that I never would have expected myself to find myself in – the combination of grant funds and study-abroad programs means that there are certainly lots of opportunities for students to expand their horizons.
I received funding for the trip from the Hop Fellows program, which you can read more about here. As part of the fellowship, students can each select one independent enrichment activity that aligns with their creative interests. For me, it was a documentary film festival; however, I know other students who went to jewelry workshops, creative writing conferences, live theater productions, and lots of other artistic enrichment experiences. The flexibility of this funding is incredible, and broadly represents the funding available on Dartmouth's campus for all sorts of different opportunities.
There are tons of funding sources for non-arts-related experiences at Dartmouth, too. The Dickey Center provides funding for international opportunities, the Leslie Center for the Humanities provides funding for academic research trips in the humanities, and the Center for Professional Development provides funding for all sorts of different career-related enrichment trips. The list goes on and on – the wide amount of funding opportunities available at Dartmouth is one of my favorite parts about the school, and they have allowed me to go on lots of amazing trips!
Sophomore Summer has already defined itself by its exciting, unfamiliar experiences and the relaxed atmosphere of campus. With new classes and clubs in full swing, here is what I have been up to during this wonderful time on campus!
In the summer, prospective students might take the time to visit potential colleges and universities to apply to. But what are some things to look for as you peruse campuses and take in the view, especially during the summer? Here are some ideas!
My first-year at Dartmouth has been a period of profound growth and self-discovery. It has challenged me to push beyond my limits, embrace my strengths and weaknesses, and navigate the complex web of opportunities that define college life.
"What's your major?" seems like a pressing question for every freshman, but now that my freshman year is behind me, I know I shouldn't have worried as much.
