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.
This school year, I started an on-campus job with the Dartmouth Athletics department as a broadcast camera operator and production assistant. This means that I've had the opportunity to film various live sporting events, including volleyball, football, rugby, and field hockey games so far this fall, operating the cameras that are streamed on ESPN channels that broadcast the games. In this post, I want to share my experience with the job, while also writing more generally about on-campus work opportunities available for Dartmouth students! I started my position at the beginning of the fall term, and I have been able to sign up and film the games that I'm interested in recording. As a sports fan, it has been lots of fun being able to watch a variety of sports in different venues while getting experience with JVC cameras and sports camera operation. This position is just one example of the ways that Dartmouth students can simultaneously explore their passions, build valuable work experience, and get paid for it! You can also find jobs that are totally unrelated to your major or career plans and get to explore new opportunities and possibilities. As someone interested in getting into video production after graduation, it has been a great opportunity to pick up valuable experience and responsibility in a camera operation context.
A broadcast camera at a women's field hockey game.
Dartmouth has its own job application portal called JobX – in one place, students can both apply for jobs and log their working hours. Being able to see most campus jobs available all on one site is very convenient, and makes the job application process much less stressful. Moreover, Dartmouth's Center for Professional Development is incredibly helpful in answering questions about both campus jobs and jobs after graduation. They offer the opportunity to read student resumes and cover letters, providing valuable feedback on how students can strengthen their job applications. Using these resources has certainly been helpful as I begin to consider the path I will be taking after graduation. There are tons of other ways that I've been able to build professional experience at Dartmouth. For example, I've been able to do both blogging and videography for the Admissions Office, which has served to improve my writing, filming, production, and editing skills over the last few years at Dartmouth. I've also been an Arabic language instructor for the past two years, which has allowed me to continue keeping my Arabic sharp even when I don't have room to take it as an official class. Overall, these work opportunities available to Dartmouth students are great ways to focus on professional development during college while also getting paid!
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.
