Hello! My name is Cal Shin, and I am a '27 double-majoring in Economics and Philosophy. When I'm not studying or writing a blog post, you can find me drawing as the Design Editor for The Dartmouth, hosting my radio show at WebDCR, or spending time with my friends. And if I'm not doing any of those, I'm probably watching cat videos. Follow along as I share the moments that make Dartmouth feel like home!
I took this course with Professor James Binkoski and loved it! I had never taken a philosophy course prior to Dartmouth, so this introductory course in the department was perfect! After all, it combined my interests of philosophy with time and time travel — at least, how time and time travel are depicted in the media. This course may initially seem to be on the more technical side, but Professor Binkoski made sure to break down the various time travel theories — various ways scientists and philosophers think of time and its supposed movement — in a manner that’s easy for anyone to understand. A very popular course overall; I am fortunate to have been able to take it during my first term here!
I took this course with Professor Ha Yan Lee and it was absolutely amazing! I had my initial reservations about this course, mainly because I knew a lot of my classmates would have had some background knowledge while I had none. Professor Lee did a wonderful job of breaking down concepts in a manner that, as she often put it, is easy for even “your grandparents to understand”. Even beyond the course, the level of care Professor Lee exhibited towards her students is significant. She’s one of the most popular professors at Dartmouth, and for good reason! I ate lunch with her at The Pine through the Take a Faculty Member to Lunch program, and she gave me tremendous insight and advice! Because of this course, I have been inspired to explore more courses within the Econ department and potentially major in Economics.
I took this course with Professor Jasmina Savic and examined how the vampire figure evolved over time, starting with Slavic literature, going through Dracula and Twilight, and ending with “vampire” political figures. I realized what the portrayal of vampires could tell me about the thoughts of that society, including the fact that the early notions of vampirism are akin to modern-day diseases. For my final project, I wrote a research paper comparing the gumiho (the Korean nine-tailed fox) to several Western vampires.
SummerNew York City, New York
I had the opportunity to visit New York City for the summer! I met up with a good friend of mine, explored the city itself, and went to a networking event with other college students.
ECON 10 is one of the required courses for the Economics major. Based on my stellar experience with Professor Ha Yan Lee during ECON 1, when I saw that she was teaching ECON 10 this term, I immediately jumped at the chance to take the course with her. Once again, Professor Lee did an amazing job of breaking down concepts in an easy-to-understand manner. (The fact that her slideshows were colorful and featured various pictures of cats helped.)
My main interest in philosophy lies in normative and applied ethics, so when I saw the opportunity to take a class on the former, I didn’t hesitate! The class focused on consequentialism, utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics. I enjoyed the ample opportunities for discussion, including discussion posts about the readings, as well as the table-wide conversations. My table, in particular, had lots to say, and there was one reading in particular where we ended up diving into discussion, not once, but twice! In fact, we had so much to say that all of us coincidentally chose to write our essay on this reading — and none of us knew until after we started talking about our papers!
While not explicitly required for the Philosophy major, you can choose to take this (and many other Philosophy courses!) as one of your four electives. Prior to taking this class, feminist philosophy was completely new to me. I had traditionally been exposed to “traditional” European philosophers, and taking the class helped me realize that my lack of exposure to other philosophers outside of this demographic was a product of epistemic injustice. The class consisted of weekly readings and discussion posts, some reflections, guest lectures from the authors of several readings, and a final project of pretty much any format about any topic of our choice! I walked away from the class with a much more nuanced understanding of agency, commodification, and labor; the harms that are a result of the very nature of women tailoring themselves under male desire seemed much more insidious.
Lots of Economics majors choose to take this class during their sophomore summer, myself included! This fast-paced class was both particularly rigorous and quite fulfilling. I walked away from every lecture feeling like I learned a lot, and by the end of the term, I realized I had gained a solid foundation in statistical knowledge, research, and best practices — all of which will be useful in my higher-level Economics courses. I particularly enjoyed working on the hands-on data exercises, where we got to handle real data through Stata!
When choosing a college, students often weigh factors like location, weather, size, and research opportunities, just to name a few. But beyond academics, college is your home for four years! For many students, religious and spiritual life can play a crucial role in shaping that sense of home. To learn more about what Jewish life looks like at Dartmouth, I spoke with Devan '27. Devan is from northern Virginia and is currently double-majoring in Economics and Geography, with a minor in Jewish Studies.
What inspired you to become involved with Jewish life at Dartmouth? When I came to Dartmouth, I really wanted to try out a lot of different student organizations and find different opportunities to meet people on campus, especially during my freshman fall. I am now involved with Hillel, which is located on campus at the Roth Center, right by Occom Pond. Hillel is a national organization, meaning there are a lot of really great resources kind of available, which I used during my college search. In fact, I was able to visit Hillel during Dimensions, check out the building, and meet the staff. Because I became more familiar with Hilleland, I naturally gravitated towards it at Dartmouth. Dartmouth Hillel is home to the Upper Valley Jewish community with a broad range of religious observances, and we share the space with the local congregation. I found Hillel to be a super welcoming place! I met a lot of really great people that I'm really close with, and I felt really supported there by upperclassmen and Hillel staff, especially during my freshman year. Having some really big Jewish holidays during the academic year, especially in the fall, served as a really nice introduction to meeting a ton of different people, including the staff at Hillel. I had a really positive experience! Hillel is a really great community, and as someone who is currently in a leadership role, I wanted to give back to that community.
Photo courtesy of Devan '27
How has your role in Hillel evolved over time? My first role in Hillel was being the Shabbat Chair. Every Friday, I would help set up the tables and chairs, making sure that we had everything we needed for all of our guests. Our Shabbat dinners bring an average of around 70 people every week. I loved coming in the afternoons and helping people set up, and being the Shabbat Chair was a great opportunity to meet the staff and other people on leadership. I currently serve as Hillel's Vice President of Membership. I host weekly coffee chats for fellow members of Hillel, as well as the occasional information session talking about what Jewish life on campus. Being in leadership has been a really great way to get involved. Giving back to the Jewish community at Dartmouth has been such a big part of my Dartmouth experience!
What is your favorite memory at Hillel? One of the biggest holidays we celebrate is our Passover Seder, which occurs in the spring. Around 200 to 250 community members at Hillel show up to our large service and community meal. We recount traditional stories and blessings while eating Matzah and Charoset. What's really cool is that Passover Seder is entirely student run, so we all come together to help plan the meal and how the service is going to go.
How would you describe Dartmouth's Jewish community? When I was applying to colleges, I knew that I wanted to go to a place with a great Jewish community. At first, I thought that Dartmouth's Jewish community would be on the smaller side, since Dartmouth is a small college in general. However, there have been a lot of really great opportunities to get involved! We have students with a very large range of religious observances. We have people who are Reform Conservative and Modern Orthodox. We also have students who are unaffiliated with a major Jewish denomination, students who come from multi-faith families, students who are part of the LGBTQ community as well. There is a broad range of backgrounds within our Jewish community, and I loved meeting different people with a variety of different backgrounds and experiences. At the end of the day, we have in common the experiences that come with being Jewish.
What do you think makes Jewish life at Dartmouth unique? The Jewish community at Dartmouth is a microcosm of the larger Dartmouth community. The Dartmouth community in general is tight-knit, and that definitely echoes true for the Dartmouth Jewish community as well. I know almost everyone in the Jewish community, and I love seeing so many friendly faces as I walk through campus!
What support systems are in place for Jewish students at Dartmouth, especially during major holidays? There are several Jewish holidays that occur during the academic year. My professors have been very accommodating to Jewish holidays! I've had a very positive experience when letting professors know that I won't be able to attend a specific class because of a Jewish holiday. Kosher dining is also very accessible at Dartmouth, which is awesome since there aren't too many kosher options in the Upper Valley. In addition to the kosher meals at Hillel, FoCo has a kosher dining station called the Pavilion.
How has Hillel helped you grow as a person? Hillel's strong sense of community has been a really positive part of my experience. Our Jewish community is definitely diverse in terms of religious observance and practices, and being involved with Hillel has been a great opportunity to meet new people. Through my involvement, I've gained great leadership experience and collaboration skills. Hillel is a community I am so proud to be a part of!
Do you have any words of advice to prospective students who prioritize Jewish life on college campuses? Looking back on my college application journey, I toured several colleges while applying. I remember having a lot of questions about Jewish life when I was a prospective student. I wish I had reached out during my college search, whether it be sending an email saying, "Hello" or visiting the physical spaces at college campuses. You are always welcome to visit Dartmouth Hillel and meet our students and staff to learn more about Jewish life on campus! If Jewish life is an important part of your college search, Dartmouth is a really great place to go. While our local Jewish community is smaller in size than in larger cities, Jewish life thrives here. Being part of such a welcoming community has been a big part of my Dartmouth experience, and I hope you can experience it too!
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
A reflection on how Dartmouth offers countless ways to stay connected to literature and writing—even as a side passion—through blogs, courses, campus publications, and creative communities.
