Hi y'all! I'm Catherine and I'm from the great state of Texas. When I'm not in class you'll find me carefully curating Spotify playlists, exploring the Upper Valley with friends, or finding ways to enjoy the great outdoors through different sub-clubs with the DOC. I am the Treasurer of the club lacrosse team, a tutor for the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric, and am involved with research in machine learning to improve healthcare outcomes with sophomore scholars!
After seeing this class in the course catalogue, it surprisingly piqued my interest. I decided to take the course on a whim, and I don't regret it for a second. Between reading various historical accounts and conducting my very first true historical research paper, I learned more about Gandhi than I ever thought I would know in my lifetime. Furthermore, I gained valuable knowledge about India's struggle for independence and subsequent partitions that have allowed me to better understand the historical context behind current day issues in South Asia. From this course I've realized that I love history, and want to pursue the discipline as a double major.
This class was AWESOME. I originally took the course as a prerequisite for another potential major. However, coming away from CS1, I now know that I want to continue further in the CS department! My professor was amazing and truly had a passion for teaching computer science and getting new students excited about the discipline. Besides having an infectious energy during class, she also made sure to make short assignments and labs fun and engaging. HIGHLY recommend. So much fun.
This term was by far my favorite so far at Dartmouth, especially by the time the snow melted and the sun came back out from wherever it was hiding. I absolutely loved this history class that I took because I felt that it helped me to better understand the way our country is today by studying our political past. I got to focus on a research topic of my own choosing, and I discovered a real love and affinity for research in the field of history.
SummerTraveling
I spent the summer at home, relaxing with my family and friends. When I wasn't at home in Houston, I was traveling with family, in particular my grandparents, who live in Florida and California.
I'm finally back on campus! I can't wait to get back into the swing of things, and enjoy the beauty of Hanover autumns. i am very excited for my classes this term, particularly a coding class in the humanities, where I will get to apply my love for computation and programming to topics in the humanities!
Just before Thanksgiving I finished up all of my classes and finals, and now I am home for 6 weeks. It's really nice to have such a long break—but sometimes it gets, well… long. These are the things I miss most about Dartmouth while I'm away (not in any particular order).
No. 1
Leaves that actually change color (and fall)
Now technically I’m still going to be missing this when I get back to Hanover in January, but it applies nonetheless. Fall in Hanover is INCREDIBLE and totally unlike anything I’ve ever experienced back home in Houston. The leaves are gorgeous, but there’s so many other fun fall activities that I’ve gotten to do this term like apple and pumpkin picking. Everyone has a fall bucket list that they hope to finish before they leave Dartmouth—and there's a reason. Fall here is unlike anywhere else.
No. 2
My dorm home
Okay, while it is nice being at my real home, my dorm home has so many fun memories attached to it. For one, I definitely miss my roommate, and all the cute posters and flags that we picked out together to decorate the room. The one thing I definitely don’t miss is the four flights of stairs to our room, and I enjoy the amenities of my bathroom at home. Something about my dorm though just makes me happy.
No. 3
Views like these
This picture was actually taken in Franconia, on Mount Garfield, which is an hour north of Hanover. Being so close to the White Mountains, I love to be outside and go hiking with my friends. I am not in such close proximity to hikes or mountains in Houston, so in New Hampshire I have to take advantage. It is super easy to do so with such an awesome organization like Dartmouth's Outing club (DOC)!
No. 4
My friends
Of everything on this list, my friends are probably what I miss most about school. The people at Dartmouth are what make Dartmouth so special to me. Sadly at Dartmouth, sometimes you don’t get to see your friends for a while. The D-plan is great, but one of the sad parts is not being able to see your friends for long expanses of time, with people being on off terms or abroad or such. But even a 6-week winterim is still a long time! I can’t wait to see everybody (that is on campus) back in the winter.
No. 5
CABOT CHEESE
Honestly not sure what I’m going to do without this. Apparently, they sell Cabot cheese outside of New Hampshire, but I have not been able to find it near me (but I’m always on the lookout). This cheese is lactose-free goodness—it is the nectar of the gods to be honest.
Coming from a boarding school, I didn't get to work during the weekends. Coming into Dartmouth, I was excited at the prospect of being able to finally get into the workforce. There are many reasons why you would want to work.
My faith is a very important part of my identity. Starting in the fall, I decided to join two Christian groups: Christian Union and Apologia, the Christian thought magazine on campus.
Long time no see, Hanover. How long has it been? Six months and three days? Not that I've been counting, of course. Oh, who am I kidding? I couldn't wait to see you again! How have you been?
It's officially 2020, and seeing as I won't be returning to Dartmouth until next September, I thought it would be fitting to reflect back on my past year (most of which was spent on-campus).
The reason I tell this story is to pretty much show that Dartmouth is somewhat of a "nerd sanctuary" — a place where people can do whatever and explore whatever passion they want.
My friends and I had a board games brunch at the dining hall, with many of the games rented from Jones Media Center. It was a highlight of the term — when else can you play Cards Against Humanity with nine friends while enjoying brunch?
With the decade (and year) coming to an end, I thought I would do something fun and look back on everything that has happened this year for me at Dartmouth!
These are just my favorites, and most of them tend to be a little more open and loud, but there are tons of different places to get some reading or work done in Hanover.
Sometimes I crave homemade Chinese food, which was part of my daily life for 18 years. Luckily, the Dartmouth Chinese Culture Society and the Office of Pluralism and Leadership Asian American Mentoring Program organized a dumpling making event!
