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.
In the spring, I worked as an intern at a documentary production company in Chicago. There, I gained experience in camera operation, managing audio levels, and editing in Premiere for clients like the Newberry Library, WBEZ Radio, the University of Chicago, and more. I traveled to many shoots across Chicago, including creative documentary projects such as PBS’s ‘From Rails to Trails’ series and runner profiles for the World Marathon Majors.
In the summer, I interned at Bloomberg News in New York City. Working in journalism was a great way to sharpen my writing, interviewing, and storytelling skills – I primarily wrote about the entertainment industry from a financial perspective. Outside of work, I spent lots of time enjoying live music and film screenings in the city.
Cinematography I: Lighting and Composition was a great way to tie my documentary filmmaking projects that I have been working on outside of class into a classroom setting. As students, we had the opportunity to work with and receive direct mentorship from accomplished filmmaker Professor Iyabo Kwayana. One of my favorite things about the class was the opportunity to screen our final film projects on a big theater screen in the Lowe Auditorium on campus!
After working on many documentaries outside of class about people and experiences in rural Vermont, taking an anthropology class on Rural Places and People was incredibly rewarding. The course gave me a more critical perspective on rural places and identities, which will definitely be helpful as I continue making films. We had many guest speakers from rural New England come to class, and it was very rewarding to hear about a wide breadth of experiences.
As a part of Dartmouth's graduation requirements, students must complete a minimum of two PE credits at some point between their first year and graduation. For one of my PE credits, I am participating in the Student Wellness Center's (SWC) Sampler program, which allows students to develop strategies for mental and physical wellbeing during the busy Dartmouth term. In this post, I'll share my experience with the Wellness Sampler this term, and the specific resources and activities offered by the center!
The Wellness Sampler encourages students to sample a wide range of offerings at the Student Wellness Center – for students completing the Sampler for a PE credit, they must engage with SWC offerings at least 12 times. At the start of the term, students receive an orientation and description of the program and the options for students to explore; I found this orientation very helpful, as it informed me about the wide range of offerings through the program.
One of the first events I went to is called 'Mindfulness in the Library', a 30-minute event in which a mindfulness instructor provides instructions for students to practice focusing and mindfulness techniques. The experience was a great way to relax and reset my mind at the start of a new week! Since mindfulness techniques are a great way to stay relaxed and grounded over time, the fact that the lesson is only 30 minutes long means that it is definitely a worthwhile investment.
Another offering I tried through the Sampler was a weekly guided yoga session at the Student Wellness Center. I had never tried yoga before, but the class was beginner-friendly and emphasized gentle movement and calming stretches. It ended up being one of the highlights of my week, and gave me a dedicated space to pause – I definitely left the session feeling refreshed!
Beyond structured classes, the Sampler also encourages students to explore opportunities like journaling prompts, tea meditation, and group study sessions using the pomodoro technique. I particularly enjoyed the journaling session, which helped me reflect on how I was feeling during the busiest weeks of the term so far. It's definitely important to take time to step back from the grind of academics and activities, and look at the bigger picture.
What I've appreciated most about the Wellness Sampler is that it invites students to explore what works best for them—whether that's sitting still, moving your body, writing things down, or simply breathing. I am excited to experience the rest of the Sampler, and hope to incorporate many of these techniques into my daily life after graduation!
Dartmouth requires all students to take three PE/Wellness classes in order to graduate. Upon hearing glowing recommendations, I chose to take the wellness sampler offered by the Student Wellness Center as a way to fulfill this requirement.
