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 the most helpful places on campus for me as a student and filmmaker is the Jones Media Center (JMC). The JMC located on the second floor of Baker Library, is a creative and collaborative space on campus where students can rent out film gear, podcast equipment, gaming systems, and more. Additionally, there are also a number of desktop computers available for students to edit photos, videos, and work on 3D modeling projects. In this post, I want to share some of the things that have made the JMC so helpful over the course of my four years at Dartmouth.
All students have the ability to rent out a wide range of equipment from JMC for personal and class use. Cameras, microphones, data storage, electronic keyboards, gaming consoles, and more are available for students to rent out throughout the academic term. As a filmmaker, being able to easily access different kinds of film equipment has been a great help to many of my projects. Typically rentals are for week-long periods, but students can also apply for longer-term rentals for things like senior honor theses and more extensive projects. For example, for my senior honors thesis film this term, I was able to rent a lavalier microphone from JMC for the duration of the fall term. Having free access to studio-grade microphones and equipment is an incredible opportunity, which is why JMC is one of my favorite resources on campus.
JMC also has many resources within the center to help students with their creative projects. For example, the room is full of desktop computers that students can use to edit photos, videos, or do other kinds of digital arts. There is also a 'whisper room', or a small, insulated box-like room that students can record podcasts in. Since Baker Library is located in the middle of campus, all of these resources are very centrally-located and easy for students to access regardless of where they live on campus.
The Media Center also hosts many fun events and competitions throughout the academic year. For example, in the fall the JMC hosts the 48-hour Video Contest, in which students can group up and attempt to make a film over a 48-hour weekend period based on a series of prompts. It's a really fun way to be creative, make new friends, and screen your films in front of all the other student groups! There is also a cash prize available for the top three rated films by JMC judges.
Overall, JMC is one of the most helpful resources on campus and has certainly been one of the highlights of my Dartmouth experience. I definitely urge prospective students to look into the resources available through the library and Media Center!
As a Digital Media Student Director for Dartmouth's First-Generation Office, it is my role on campus to amplify first-gen voices, foster community, and create meaningful connections through creative outreach.
This fall, Dartmouth provided me with incredible opportunities to get involved in politics. I registered as a New Hampshire voter, joined civic organizations, canvassed, and more! Read on to follow my journey leading up to Election Day!
