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 spaces on campus is the Hopkins Center for the Arts, or "the Hop." It's a vibrant hub for creativity and community that houses the Hood Museum, the Courtyard Café, and several other resources for students. While the Hop is currently undergoing a major renovation, I want to share why it's one of my favorite places on campus.
The Hood Museum is located within the Hop, which constantly displays rotating exhibitions that take advantage of the massive museum collection. Admission is free for students and non-students alike, which makes it really easy to stop by the Hood at any time and look through the exhibits. In addition, Dartmouth students frequently go to the Hood as part of class activities. For example, in my Rural Anthropology class last week, we went to the Hood to analyze pieces of artwork that aim to depict, romanticize, or criticize rurality. Having the chance to tie the arts into my courses is very rewarding, and has really helped me enrich my learning.
Another component of the Hop that I love is the Courtyard Cafe, a grill-style dining option on campus. The Courtyard Cafe serves hamburgers, quesos, chicken sandwiches, salads, and many other kinds of food. Because of all the options, I love getting meals with my friends at the Courtyard Cafe.
For those passionate about the arts, the Hop offers soundproof practice rooms that are perfect for musicians. Many of my friends use these rooms to rehearse their instruments or refine performances. Each room is equipped with a piano and mirrors, making it a versatile space for music, dance, or even theater practice.
Currently, the Hop is undergoing renovations—with the administration is making lots of effort to factor in student feedback to renovation programs. Through increased funding opportunities and fellowship programs, the Hop is becoming a place where students can receive financial and institutional support for all kinds of creative projects. I recently applied for a grant for a documentary about beekeepers in rural New Hampshire and Vermont, and was able to receive funding—this sort of material support will certainly be helpful for Dartmouth students to realize their creative projects.
Overall, the Hop is one of my favorite spaces on campus due to the diversity of spaces and the support that it provides to students. It is definitely a must-see spot for any prospective students visiting campus!
This winter break, I spent eight days participating in the TuckLAB: Energy Program before heading back to home. In this blog, I'd like to share more about what TuckLAB Energy is about, and why I decided to participate in it.
Dartmouth hosts a variety of speaker events, bringing experts from politics, journalism, and academia to campus. The 2024 Election Speaker Series featured figures such as Mike Pence, Elbridge Colby, and Ben Rhodes.
Having grown a little more accustomed to the single-digit temperatures in Fahrenheit, I decided to spend my three-day weekend participating in a campus-wide snowball fight.
