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.
In the spring, I worked as an intern at a documentary production company in Chicago. There, I gained experience in camera operation, managing audio levels, and editing in Premiere for clients like the Newberry Library, WBEZ Radio, the University of Chicago, and more. I traveled to many shoots across Chicago, including creative documentary projects such as PBS’s ‘From Rails to Trails’ series and runner profiles for the World Marathon Majors.
In the summer, I interned at Bloomberg News in New York City. Working in journalism was a great way to sharpen my writing, interviewing, and storytelling skills – I primarily wrote about the entertainment industry from a financial perspective. Outside of work, I spent lots of time enjoying live music and film screenings in the city.
Cinematography I: Lighting and Composition was a great way to tie my documentary filmmaking projects that I have been working on outside of class into a classroom setting. As students, we had the opportunity to work with and receive direct mentorship from accomplished filmmaker Professor Iyabo Kwayana. One of my favorite things about the class was the opportunity to screen our final film projects on a big theater screen in the Lowe Auditorium on campus!
After working on many documentaries outside of class about people and experiences in rural Vermont, taking an anthropology class on Rural Places and People was incredibly rewarding. The course gave me a more critical perspective on rural places and identities, which will definitely be helpful as I continue making films. We had many guest speakers from rural New England come to class, and it was very rewarding to hear about a wide breadth of experiences.
Last weekend, Dartmouth's Hop Fellows put together the second iteration of Hanunder, an annual student arts festival on campus. Although I helped put together the event last year, this year I was an attendee – it was lots of fun! In this post, I'll share my experience at the festival, and how it helps student artists show their work and meet other student artists at Dartmouth.
Hanunder began on Friday and ended on Sunday, and each of the three days had its own theme. In addition, two of the three nights took place in Sawtooth, a local restaurant located in Hanover; this was a great way to get some locals involved with student art on campus, as well. Additionally, Sawtooth has amazing food – I highly recommend their fried chicken sandwich.
Friday night's theme was 'Gala', and featured a wide range of student music groups and theatrical performances. One of my favorite performances was by a student band called 'Day Drooler', who had a really unique alternative-rock sort of sound. The event ran from 8pm to 11pm, making room for lots of other student groups and performances.
The next night of Hanunder was my personal favorite, and the theme was 'Concert Cocktail' with an emphasis on music and dance. In addition to student artists and DJs that helped cultivate a fun and high-energy atmosphere, there was also a drag show. Throughout both of the nights in Sawtooth, physical art pieces from Dartmouth Students also lined the walls, leading to a mixture of both dynamic and static art pieces. I really enjoyed the nights in Sawtooth, and it is great to see a partnership between Dartmouth organizations and local businesses in town.
The last day of Hanunder was on Sunday afternoon, and was themed 'Digital Discourse'. This day took place in the Visual Arts Center on campus, and featured student films and poetry. In addition, there was a separate room for visual reality art, in which student artists and programmers shared their VR projects for people to play and enjoy. A documentary I made was screened as a part of Sunday's programming, and it was really great to see my work on a large movie theater screen.
I always enjoy the opportunity to share and enjoy student art at Dartmouth, and Hanunder provides a great opportunity for students to do that. As the Hopkins Center for the Arts continues its renovations and growing its presence on campus through initiatives like the Hop Fellows program, I am excited to see how the future of arts continues to grow and develop at Dartmouth.
One of my greatest privileges at Dartmouth has been learning from Professor Ed. Miller of the History and Asian Studies departments. Read on to learn more about why he is my favorite professor!
The Sri Lankan New Year falls on the 13th and 14th of April, a time for plenty of celebrations and family time. At Dartmouth, I keep these traditions with my friends and celebrate a part of home every year!
