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.
The fall is one of the most exciting times on campus. With the excitement of the new '27s on campus and many people returning after being off for the summer, Dartmouth's campus is constantly bustling and moving. There's so much to love about Dartmouth's fall term. Here are my five favorite things about it:
First, the transition into fall weather! The weather transition from summer into fall in the Upper Valley is physically and visually wonderful. There's less humidity in the fall, leading to pleasant and breezy weather for taking walks and spending time outside. Moreover, watching the foliage transform from green into red, yellow, and orange is always fun and gives the fall a unique nostalgic feeling. I constantly find myself remembering things that happened in previous fall terms as the campus transforms into fall colors.
Another thing I love is that everything is going on! Since fall is one of the busiest terms on campus, clubs, activities, and events are always going on! I've been able to teach Arabic drill again this term and start going to the Arabic club again. Many of these student life activities are inactive—as primarily sophomores are on campus—over the summer, so enjoying them again has been lots of fun. Since I was off in the spring, I haven't been surrounded by these student life activities since last winter, so I've really enjoyed getting back into my routines and activities.
Also homecoming! Towards the end of October, there is an annual homecoming weekend with a football game, festivities, and a massive bonfire in the center of the Green. It's always fun to see people get excited about this yearly tradition, and a great way to make memories with friends. The campus is usually bustling with alums and other visitors during this time, which definitely makes things feel lively and exciting.
Fall term is also a great time to meet '27s. As an Arabic drill instructor and FYSEP mentor, I have many opportunities to meet new '27s and learn more about their interests and why they chose Dartmouth. I love to make these new connections and love the chance to lend a helping hand to students as they adjust to a college environment. As a new student, I remember upper-level students helping answer my questions and getting me acclimated to Dartmouth's unique environment.
Finally, what I love about fall term is the anticipation for "winterim." At Dartmouth, the fall term ends before Thanksgiving, and the winter term begins after the New Year, meaning the interim between fall and winter (winterim) is six weeks long! As the fall term gets busier, there is always a long winterim to look forward to that provides a chance to spend lots of time with friends and family during the holidays. All things considered, it's a great way to finish a busy Dartmouth fall term.
Every Dartmouth student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Here's my experience navigating the language requirement!
