Hey y'all! I'm Caroline York, and I'm a '25 from Georgia! My hope is to share my Dartmouth experience with potential '29s, '30s, '31s and beyond! On campus, I write sports for The Dartmouth, am a Center for Social Impact SIBS mentor, am in Christian life, a Tour Guide, a Dartmouth Emergency Medical Services (EMS) member, and do medical research! Otherwise, you'll find me at the Norwich Farmers' Market, studying in the Tower Room, and running along the Appalachian Trail. Welcome to my world!
It snowed for the first time last week, which was big news for me. Seeing the beautiful snowflakes falling from the sky made it really easy to get out of bed and go to my 9 am class. As snow built up on Dartmouth's campus, so did my excitement for a New England winter. On Friday night, Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss and a Dartmouth alumnus, sent the entire student body an email inviting me to a treasured Dartmouth tradition, the annual snowball fight! Here is an excerpt:
"At midnight there will be a fight!
A snowball fight this very night!
Come jump and shout and sing and dance!
Come put snow down someone's pants!"
Enjoying the fresh snow the day of the snowball fight!
I was so excited! I went to the Dartmouth Green with 4,000 other students at midnight, ready to take on fellow students with snowballs! I had a blast, meeting new friends from all classes, until ice was accidentally thrown at my eye.
Dartmouth Safety and Security was on the scene immediately and drove me to Dick's House, the infirmary, who recommended I go to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, DHMC. Safety and Security drove me to the hospital. There, hospital staff treated me and soothed my fears about being without my parents in a medical setting for the first time. With my eye taken care of, Safety and Security picked me up and took me back to my dorm room around 4 am.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, a teaching hospital minutes from campus.
After that night, I had an eye patch for a couple of days, so I couldn't leave my room. Friends and even peers I didn't know well rallied around me, brought me meals, and kept me company. What could have been a lonely time turned into an opportunity to get to know people on a one-on-one level. Furthermore, both a doctor from Dick's House and my undergraduate dean reached out to check up on my recovery.
Sweet Sara brought me a charcuterie board for dinner!
Reflecting on the experience, it made me appreciate Dartmouth's close community, small size, and amenities. DHMC is a highly regarded teaching hospital just minutes from campus that students can always trust. The support I received after the accident showed how Dartmouth faculty and students care for their own.
I'm happy to say I am mostly recovered with minimal bruising. EYE can now SEE why Dartmouth is so special. Sorry for the pun!
Entering a new environment miles away from home, knowing little to no people at first, can feel daunting. However, Dartmouth's support systems, particularly through the First Generation Office (FGO), have been nothing short of incredible.
