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.
I've been working on the blog team for an entire two terms already, but have yet to share what a day in my life as a Dartmouth student is like! Below, I will outline how I spent last Monday here on campus during the second week of my spring term!
Every morning, I set two alarms. One at 7:29, and one at 7:30 (the 7:29 alarm gives me the opportunity to enjoy 1 more minute of sleep until I start my day). Usually, Dartmouth classes don't start this early in the morning; however, my Arabic class is every day at 9:05, so I wake up early to make sure I have time to shower and get ready for my day. After I'm done getting dressed and prepared for the day, I like to read a chapter from a novel I'm reading. As an MES major, understanding Arab literature is really critical to understanding the politics, culture, and society of a region. Before heading out of my dorm, I usually like to scroll through TikTok to relax before a busy day.
My Arabic class starts at 9:05 AM. The class is really tiny, with only about 8 people; therefore, the exercises are really interactive and my questions can be immediately answered. In class, activities like grammar reviews, vocabulary practice, and presentations on different cultural aspects in the Arab world are really common. Today, we had a lecture on Ramadan's cultural significance to the Muslim world, as the season of fasting began last Saturday. Overall, this is one of my favorite classes and I'm really lucky to have the opportunity to take Arabic at Dartmouth.
After Arabic, I went to the main campus cafe (Novack) to grab breakfast and read for a little bit. My professor from last term translated "I Do Not Sleep" by Ihsan Abdel Kouddous into English, so I wanted to enjoy the book before the term gets too busy. I ordered a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich and did my Arabic homework for the day right after class to get it out of the way. At around 11, I went back to my dorm to play a game of League of Legends with a friend from high school (who actually goes to Boston University!). Video games are a great way to continue building friendships from back home.
After that, I did some readings for my Arab Political Thought class. This is a tough class with very dense readings, so it takes me a while to get through the material and take effective notes. After notetaking, I went to FOCO (the main dining hall) to eat a little bit before my second and final class of the day, history of Arabic language.
This class began at 3:30 and lasted until 5:20, so it's definitely a long one. Studying the history and evolution of Arabic is really interesting, and I can't wait to learn more in the course! After the class, me and a classmate called some friends to come to the green and we played with a frisbee for a little bit, before getting pasta dinner from Collis Cafe.
After that, we went to study in the new building on campus (Irving), which is really nice! I didn't have much work to do, so I went back to my room and watched Netflix until I went to sleep at about midnight. This is a pretty accurate look at what a regular weekday at Dartmouth looks like for me; it's definitely not easy, but it's not impossible either!
Most students have to go back to college after Thanksgiving to take their finals, but not at Dartmouth! We have a six-week winter break, known as "winterim!" Let me tell you how I spent my winterim!
As a second-year at Dartmouth, I've embraced leadership roles that foster community, creativity, and support! Here's a look at how each role has shaped my journey.
