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Cal Shin

Class of 2027
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Bio 

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!

Academic Program 

Economics and Philosophy

Favorite Thing Right Now 

FoCo's Sesame Garlic Cukes

Hometown 

Cary, North Carolina

Pronouns 

She/Her

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Cal's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: PHIL 1.08: The Philosophy of Time and Time Travel

      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!

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: ECON 1: The Price System - Analysis, Problems, and Policies

      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.

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: RUSS 7.07-01: Monster Trafficking

      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.

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: ECON 10: Introduction to Statistical Methods

      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.)

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: PHIL 37: Ethical Theory

      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!

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: PHIL 22: Feminism and Philosophy

      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.

    • SummerOn Campus

      Favorite Class: ECON 20: Econometrics

      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!

    • FallHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: PHIL 11: Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy

      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.

    • SpringHanover, NH

      Favorite Class: PHIL 26: Philosophy and Computers

      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.

    • SummerSan Francisco, CA

      I spent my third and last off-term doing an internship in San Francisco, California. I explored San Francisco, visited some classic attractions, and even met up with some Dartmouth alumni!

A photo of a group of girls in formal wear

25X: Sophomore Summer Reflection

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One of the most unique traditions at Dartmouth is sophomore summer, where students stay on campus to take classes the summer before their junior year. My sophomore summer has been an incredibly special experience!

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Posted 10/28/2025 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts

My Favorite Study Spots: Junior Fall Edition

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My go-to study spots have changed a lot since I first came to Dartmouth!

  1. No. 1

    FFB (First Floor Berry)

    A large room with a bunch of tables, computers, and people studying

    99% of the time, you’ll find me studying in the first floor of Berry Library, colloquially known as FFB. The higher up you go in the library, the quieter it gets. This means that FFB is the loudest, whereas 4FB (fourth floor Berry) is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. I’m someone who works best with background noise, and FFB is abundant with that! I try to study with my friends at FFB, and we always end up getting into some pretty interesting conversations. 

  2. No. 2

    The Booths Upstairs at FoCo

    People sitting in a set of booths with red walls

    If I’m not studying at FFB, there’s a good chance I might be upstairs at FoCo, Dartmouth’s main dining hall. There’s a cozy section with red booths and golden lighting, and while it is on the quieter side compared to FFB, it’s easy to grab a drink or a snack while studying. If I’m studying at FoCo, I’m probably handling some “lighter” work such as typing something up, as I tend to do better at louder spots.

  3. No. 3

    My Greek House!

    A photo of a living room with couches, blankets, and a TV screen.

    Last, but certainly not least, is my Greek house! Avid readers of my posts may remember that I joined a sorority my sophomore fall and chose to live in the house during my sophomore summer. The formal room, which is what we call our living room, is a great place to study with my fellow sisters, especially before and after sisterhood events! There’s always a good amount of conversations, and more often than not, someone will play a movie or TV show in the background.

Posted 10/16/2025 at 9:00 AMAll List Posts
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Dartmouth Bound: A Current Student's Perspective

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When I first arrived on campus, upper-level students eased my fears with their confidence and care. When invited to apply as a Dartmouth Bound Leader, I jumped at the chance to do the same to students starting their own college journeys.

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Posted 08/22/2025 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts
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Singing Through Sophomore Summer

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Dartmouth is no stranger to a variety of student-run full-year performance groups in dance, a cappella, improv, and comedy. Sophomore summer is particularly special, as most of these groups allow sophomores to audition and join just for the summer.

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Posted 08/20/2025 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts
A photograph of a gray and white house, with a panel of wood saying, "KAPPA DELTA"

Living In My Sorority House

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In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how I joined a sorority earlier this fall by going through the recruitment process. I've come a long way since then. In fact, I am living in my sorority house for my sophomore summer!

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Posted 08/18/2025 at 9:00 AMAll Text Posts

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