Hello! My name is Cal, and I am a '27 double-majoring in Economics and Philosophy. When I'm not working on assignments or writing a blog post, you can find me drawing, going on a Woccom, 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!
As a Philosophy major, PHIL 11 is one of several classes I had the option of taking to satisfy one of my major requirements. I wanted to take some time to really focus on some of the most “classic” philosophers one might think of when someone mentions philosophy. The bulk of our focus was on Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Categories. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning at 8:50, I walked into the classroom, ready for lectures and in-class discussions alongside around 20 other students. Assignments consisted of small discussions and deliverables with a team of 3 to 4 classmates, as well as drafts, peer reviews, and final versions of two papers. In each of our papers, we had the opportunity to connect our personal interests to the works of either Plato or Aristotle. I knew I was enjoying this class when, talking to my friends about the topic I chose, they pointed out my palpable excitement.
WinterConcord, NH
As a Rockefeller Center Judicial Fellow, I spent my off term working under Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald. My experience working in his chambers was incredibly meaningful, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I have wanted to take this class ever since my first year, and it did not disappoint! Don’t let the name of the class scare you - it’s not computer science-heavy. PHIL 26 was a philosophy class exploring the philosophical and ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) — and what better place is to do so than Dartmouth, the birthplace of AI? This class was co-taught by two professors, which made for one of the most engaging classroom experiences I’ve had so far. Each class was a lively discussion between us and the professors, especially since we were all interested in AI and its growing role in our daily lives. Some of the most fascinating topics we explored in that class included whether we can and should trust AI, personal relationships with AI (e.g., friendship, love, therapy), and fairness.
It's strange how quickly something can become a part of your routine. More than three years ago, I was reading this very blog every day, imagining what my life at Dartmouth might actually be like. If you're reading this post, chances are that you are doing exactly what I did then.
Prior to moving in during my first year, I had never actually visited Dartmouth's campus. As a high school student, I got to know Dartmouth through online resources, such as virtual information sessions and YouTube videos. I relied especially heavily on this very admissions blog to glean information about students' genuine experiences at Dartmouth (which, dear reader, I imagine you are doing now!). The blog posts I read transported me to scenes of sitting on the Green, studying in the library, and taking classes rich with discussions. Even after receiving my acceptance letter, I would still scour the blog almost daily, eager to be like one of the current students behind the screen. That eagerness solidified to the point where I eventually found myself wanting to be a blogger as well.
The summer before my first year, when I was filled with excitement at the thought of spending my next four years on campus, I stumbled upon an advertisement inviting incoming students to apply to join the People, Places, Pines blogging team. Having read the blog almost daily at that point, I had an idea about what Dartmouth would be like, yet I had several questions for current students that the blog did not answer. I knew that if I had those questions, that other prospective students would as well. I wanted to fill in those gaps and answer those previously unanswered questions.
It was with those motivations that I submitted my application to join the blogging team. The application process may have changed since I applied three years ago, but at the time, I answered questions about what I thought I wanted to study, details about any previous writing experience I had, why I wanted to join the team, why I chose Dartmouth, and wrote a sample introductory blog post. A couple weeks later, I received a follow-up email inviting me to an interview. Following the interview, I received this fateful email on August 29, 2023—exactly three years ago!
The lovely email that welcomed me to the blogging team!
It's hard to believe that three (three!) years have passed since then, and a lot has changed, myself included. I've taken a wide variety of classes, explored new interests, declared two majors, joined new student organizations, and had three very different off-terms. Bloggers have come and gone as incoming first-years joined the team and graduating seniors moved on to the next chapter of their lives. Yet one part of my routine has remained consistent: blogging.
College moves fast. Between classes, assignments, meetings, and everything else happening on campus during a fast-paced 10-week term, it's only too easy to jump from one week to the next without stopping to appreciate what has happened. Blogging has always given me the opportunity to pause. Regardless of location or time of year, every week, I have set aside time to sit down and reflect upon everything that has happened over the past several days, and those experiences inevitably end up turning into a blog post. Sometimes that led to me writing about major milestones (and I mean that literally—I wrote about declaring my majors!). Other times, I ended up writing about some of the more mundane parts of my week, like printing my readings. I've found myself wandering down memory lane while writing a post, smiling at memories I might have nearly forgotten or being hit with the realization of just how much I've changed since my first year. It's funny how sitting down to write about a single week often ends up reminding me of experiences of months, or even years, earlier. In some ways, blogging has been quite the therapeutic outlet.
One of my favorite parts about being a blogger has been thinking about the person on the other side of the screen. Whenever I choose what to write about, I find myself asking, "Would this have helped my high school self?" If the answer is yes, then I know it's worth writing about. Whether it be explaining unique Dartmouth traditions such as Green Key, talking about my classes, or making a detailed series about the practical logistics of preparing to be a Dartmouth student (e.g.,what to pack,how to get to Dartmouth,and what to do when you're ill and away from home), I always hope that you come away feeling a little more informed, and hopefully more excited, about Dartmouth.
Somehow, I'm a senior now. When I first started reading this blog, senior bloggers seemed impossibly far removed. They had already lived through everything I was only beginning to imagine. Now, as a senior myself, I find myself looking back upon those three years' worth of memories while also looking ahead to everything I hope to do and experience during my final year. I'm excited for what's to come and all the "last firsts" that will accompany my senior year. It feels like only yesterday I was moving into my first-year residence hall, Little Hall.
Amongst all of these changes, one thing will stay the same: being a part of this lovely team of bloggers and sharing my Dartmouth journey with the world. Now more than ever, I will appreciate the time I set aside to reflect, write, and share a little piece of my Dartmouth experience.
I hope that somewhere out there, another prospective student who has never set foot on campus is reading this and many others posts the same way I once did, imagining what life at Dartmouth might be like. If that's you, I hope these stories help make Dartmouth feel just a little closer to your reach.
With all the amazing dining options Dartmouth has to offer, rest assured you will not go hungry on this campus! In this blog post, I will be discussing one of my favorite dining locations, Collis Café, with you.
I'm so happy I chose Dartmouth, as it offers unparalleled access to the beautiful outdoors. Click on this blog post to read a poem I wrote in appreciation of nature and Dartmouth!
