Moosilauke Ravine Lodge

Brendilou Armstrong

Class of 2026
A girl smiling in front of a bookshelf
Bio 

Hi there! I'm Brendilou, a '26 from Western Nebraska. As an English major interested in journalism, I'm passionate about writing to educate—to explore differing perspectives, to emphasize the mundane. Through this blog, however, I write to introduce you all to my perspective, my mundane, at the college that's stolen my heart. Welcome to my neck of the woods.

Academic Program 

English and Creative Writing

Favorite Thing Right Now 

Studying on the grass at Kemeny Courtyard

Hometown 

Chadron, Nebraska

Pronouns 

she/her/hers

You are here

Brendilou's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: 19th Century British Women Writers

      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.

    • WinterOff-Campus

      Favorite Class: Off-Term in Chadron, Nebraska

      This would have been winter term of my freshman year, but I decided to take a gap year following my freshman fall instead!

    • SpringOff-Campus

      Favorite Class: Off-Term in Chadron, Nebraska

      This would have been spring term of my freshman year, but I decided to take a gap year following my freshman fall instead!

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: CRWT 12: Introduction to Poetry

      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.

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: ASCL 70.01: Sacred Architecture of Asia

      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.

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: HIST 31.03: Migrant Los Angeles

      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.

    • SummerOn Campus

      Favorite Class: HUM 04.02: The Sixties

      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! 

    • FallHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: CRWT 11: Writing and Reading Creative Nonfiction

      Of the creative writing courses I have taken thus far, none have aligned with my desired career path as well as CRWT 11: Intro to Creative Nonfiction. If you are a prospective journalist, essayist, or fellow Joan Didion devotee, this class was made for you! Although Dartmouth does not have a designated journalism department, the class effectively delves into the art of it while maintaining a creative foundation. With a flexible schedule of fun, thought-provoking writing assignments and weekly peer editing workshops, CRWT 11 immensely refined my writing skills.

    • WinterHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: CRWT 40.15, Tell Me A Story: Introduction to Nonfiction Radio and Podcasting

      If you’re interested in audio storytelling, take CRWT 40.15, Tell Me A Story: Introduction to Nonfiction Radio and Podcasting! Lecturer and producer at Pushkin Industries Sophie Crane uses a hands-on approach for teaching students how to record, edit, and produce their own podcasts. By the end of the term, I had gained extensive experience with Adobe Audition and industry-standard equipment. This is, by far, my favorite class I’ve taken at Dartmouth!

    • SpringHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: CRWT 21: Intermediate Creative Nonfiction

      After taking the intro class in the fall, CRWT 21: Intermediate Creative Nonfiction was the next step in refining my journalism skills. Taught by Professor Jeffrey Sharlet, this class, dubbed “The Reporters,” emphasized storytelling in the Upper Valley. Similar to CRWT 11, the class was structured around peer editing workshops and discussions rather than lectures. To conclude the term, students submitted their final pieces to an online publication created exclusively for this class. I look forward to taking the advanced workshop in the fall!

    • FallHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: CRWT 60: Advanced Fiction

      Despite my nonfiction concentration, I found CRWT 60, “Advanced Fiction,” to be the most rewarding class of my term. A class of this nature—an advanced workshop—was a prerequisite for my senior honors thesis in creative writing. By virtue of its five-person size, the feedback on submissions was thoughtful, the assigned readings were tailored to our interests, and the discussions felt intimate and productive. The professor, Thomas O’Malley, was deeply invested in each writer’s growth. I’d recommend this workshop to anyone interested in refining their fiction writing.

    • WinterHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: CRWT 98: Creative Writing Honors Course I

      I began work for my creative nonfiction thesis this term through CRWT 98: Honors Course I, the springboard for my longest written project to date. During weekly one-on-one meetings with my advisor, Professor Jeff Sharlet, we parsed through interviews and followed their natural through lines to create an outline for my project. I used self-imposed deadlines to keep my writing on track and finished the first draft of two chapters, each around 20 pages in length.

    • SpringHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: CRWT 99: Creative Writing Honors Course II

      CRWT 99: Honors Course II, a continuation of Honors Course I, marked the culmination of my creative nonfiction thesis and undergraduate writing life. Through weekly workshops with my advisor, Professor Jeff Sharlet, I wrote and polished three more chapters. After ten weeks, my thesis totaled 94 pages across five chapters. I presented it to the Department of English and Creative Writing on May 26. Two weeks later, I received high honors and a department award!

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Roses of My First Week Back

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As I settle into a new schedule of classes and extracurricular activities, I have taken inspiration from the many icebreakers that defined last week by compiling a list of my roses (void of any thorns) from my first week back at Dartmouth.

  1. No. 1

    Seeing My Friends Again

    Brendilou Photo 1

    After eight months away from campus, I realized how true and deep the connections I had made with my friends last fall were, even after having spent such a short amount of time with them. I built friendships with some of the most supportive and encouraging people I have ever met, and I am so grateful to still have them in my life. 

  2. No. 2

    Hanover Scoops & Starbucks

    Oh, Starbucks, a friend to aid my coffee addiction and a foe for the same reason. Coming from a small, rural town in Nebraska, the nearest Starbucks to me was in the next city over, but I am now blessed to have one a few blocks away in downtown Hanover. My REAL downfall begins as soon as I remember Hanover Scoops, the ice cream shop, is just across the street.

  3. No. 3

    My Dorm

    Sophomore dorm

    This year I was lucky enough to be placed in a single dorm (which I am in LOVE with)! After a long day of classes, it is such a refreshing feeling knowing that I can come home to a space that I feel comfortable in. I’ve taken the initiative to decorate my dorm as cozy as possible (a piece of advice for every prospective student), covering each and every square inch of my wall in movie posters and Polaroids. I am ecstatic to call North Massachusetts 211 home for this year.

  4. No. 4

    The Beginning of Fall

    Walking out of my dorm in the mornings and immediately getting goosebumps from the 50 degree weather is a feeling that I never expected to miss. Ironically, it warms my heart to see the leaves slowly shifting in color from their vibrant greens to even more vibrant reds and oranges. I am so excited to spend another fall season at the College on the Hill.

Posted 09/28/2023 at 9:00 AMAll List Posts

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