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!
An Organic Shopping Spree: A Morning at the Norwich Farmers' Market!
With Dartmouth's close proximity to Vermont comes quick adventures across the border to the Green Mountain State! This weekend, my friend and I journeyed to the Norwich Farmers' Market, a short five-minute drive from campus, to spend our Saturday morning shopping local and organic.
Our weekend excursion began at 11 am when my friend and I drove south-west from campus to the Norwich Farmers' Market, where a multitude of Upper Valley vendors set up shop from early May to October each year. Here, local businesses and privately-owned farms gather together to sell a variety of items — including baked goods, jewelry, flowers, and fresh produce — to Vermonters and New Hampshirites alike.
This being my first time at the Norwich Farmers' Market, I was unsure what to expect, but after arriving and seeing both carloads of Upper Valley community members and the market's gorgeous natural surroundings, I was ecstatic to explore. Vendor tables displaying handmade arts/crafts, agricultural/farm products, and prepared foods for sale formed a maze of shops that I quickly became lost in.
Just a few of the many vendor tables set up at the Norwich Farmers' Market.
I began my spending spree with lunch: a delicious plate of chicken curry and coconut rice from Samosa Man, followed by a croissant from a stand set up by Umpleby's, a local Hanover bakery. While eating our meals, my friend and I sat on a wooden bench near a group of local folk performers, chatting and soaking in the atmosphere.
Once finished, my friend and I made our way to the Honey Field Farm stand, where we mixed-and-matched different flowers to create personalized bouquets. We spent the rest of our morning browsing the different shops and socializing with local community members as well as other Dartmouth students.
A selection of the fresh, locally grown produce from Honey Field Farm!
The Norwich Farmers' Market is a fantastic getaway for a Saturday morning, whether your intent is to spend money or time. Buying more organic and locally grown products has always been a goal of mine, and I am happy to have done so this weekend at an incredibly accessible location to campus. I couldn't be more excited to visit again next week!
