Hello, and welcome to my neck of the woods! My name is Brendilou Armstrong, and I am a '26 hailing from the cornfields and grassy plains of Western Nebraska. This year, I plan to involve myself in The Dartmouth and WebDCR (Dartmouth College Radio). I couldn't be more excited to set out on this expedition through college alongside all of you. Thanks for visiting my page!
If you are interested in Victorian literature in any capacity, this is the class for you! It is a course taught by the WGSS (Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) department and combines historical and political aspects into a literary seminar. The material is compelling and allows you to view female authors, including Mary Shelley, Jane Austen, and Elizabeth Gaskell, in a different perspective knowing the societal context of the time period and themes in their most popular works.
If poetic language and artistic writing styles are your forte, this is the perfect class for you! Taught by the English/Creative Writing department, Introduction to Poetry is an incredible foundation to storytelling, introducing students to poetry styles from prose to ekphrastic and written to slam. The approach to teaching the course revolved around the strategies of Robert Frost, where the Poetry Room in Sanborn Library held our class, and students' chairs were arranged in a circle rather than in rows of desks. CRWT 12 is one of the most unique and fascinating classes I have taken thus far, and as a result, has become my favorite class I have taken on campus.
Niche classes and concentrations define a Dartmouth education, and before this term, I never intended on taking an Asian art history course, let alone one with such a defined focus. Taught through both the Department of Art History and the Department of Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages by Columbia University guest lecturer Seher Agarwala, this course contextualizes sacred architectural structures of the Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic faiths. I left this course with a newfound interest in the artistic practices of East Asian cultures and an appreciation for their diverse historical backgrounds and religions.
For any Los Angeles natives or those generally wanting to delve into the history of southern California, this class is for you! Focusing mainly on the contributions of minorities to the area, this class provides insight on the seldom-discussed history of L.A. through the perspectives of non-white settlers from the 18th century to the present day. Through examining controversial films depicting L.A. (including La La Land and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood), I left this course with a deep understanding of the sacrifices made to construct contemporary Los Angeles.
If the history behind 1960s politics, fashion, art, music, and society interests you in any capacity, this class is the perfect fit for you! Taught through Dartmouth’s Humanities Department, this course covers the late 1950s through the early 1970s, focusing on the era's transformative nature while immersing students in the time period through samples of art and music. What an incredible introduction to an incredibly important decade!
As I settle into the comfort of my hometown, I scroll through my camera roll and reminisce on each experience that defined my fall term, one of which being a day-trip to Boston, Massachusetts with a few of my friends! With Dartmouth being a simple bus ride away from several major east coast cities, this is possible AND affordable!
On October 1st, I began my day at 4:30 in the morning, quickly stuffing my belongings into a tote bag and meeting my friend at the Dartmouth Coach bus stop. With our one-day, round-trip tickets being only $55, this trip, although spontaneous in nature, proved to be easily manageable and budget-friendly. After loading and selecting our seats, we enjoyed a relaxing two hour ride catching up on some missed sleep after our early wake up time.
My friend and I in front of Baker-Berry Library at 4:30 in the morning.
On arriving at Boston South Station, we began a short walk to Emerson College to meet up with one of our friends, indulging in my first-time encounters of the sights, sounds, and smells of Boston.
A Dartmouth sighting in Boston!
After meeting up with our other friend, we headed to Downtown Crossing for breakfast at Cafe Bonjour, where I enjoyed an order of eggs Benedict and hot chocolate while taking in the restaurant's bustling atmosphere.
The end of breakfast marked time to explore the city of Boston–without an itinerary. Traversing a new environment without a plan has always fostered a sense of freedom within me, which is exactly what my friends and I were hoping to do with this spontaneous trip. From exploring Beacon Hill to laying on the docks at Boston Harbor, we made the most of our day before taking the subway system to a nearby venue in Somerville, Massachusetts for a Bird & Byron/Durand Jones concert.
A view of Boston Harbor from the docks!
The rest of our night consisted of dancing and singing along to our favorite R&B/indie soul songs, then catching the subway back to Boston for our Dartmouth Coach ride back to campus, ending an incredibly eventful and fun day. The options for activities off-campus are endless with Dartmouth's inexpensive transportation services, and I am excited to continue utilizing them when traveling during future terms!
A close view of the stage at the Bird & Byron/Durand Jones concert!
Every Dartmouth student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Here's my experience navigating the language requirement!
