Hi! My name is Chelsea Mills and I'm a '26 from Maryland. I'm quite indecisive, but currently pursuing a Psychology major/Classics minor on the Pre-Med track. On campus, I plan to join POCO (People of Color Outdoors). I also love playing tennis, exploring campus with friends, and curling up with a good book. You might see me walking along The River from my dorm or grabbing a FOCO cookie. If not, I can't wait to share my freshman experience with you all virtually :)
I studied Latin throughout high school, and I intended to continue the language at Dartmouth. Latin 3 was a good introduction to the Classics department. I was really surprised with how immersive my class was! We even visited the Rauner Special Collections Library on campus, where we had access to the original manuscripts (made of animal skin!) of Ovid's poems. I'm excited for similar experiences in the near future; I plan on majoring in Classics!
I'm not an Engineering major, but I LOVED ENGS 12. It's the kind of class that you take just because you've heard so many great things about it. A friend recommended this class and professor (Rafe Steinhauer) to me- and I'm so glad they did. Not to be dramatic, but this Design Thinking class literally changed the way I understand the world around me. I learned about creativity, problem solving, and collaboration in an immersive way. The group projects helped my apply this knowledge on a daily basis. I constantly find myself transferring what I learned to my current academic and personal life. I can't recommend this class enough!
"Science Communication & Context" was my chosen topic to fulfill Dartmouth's first year Writing Seminar requirement. My seminar was taught by a notable professor in the Chemistry department. As a pre-med student, I have a lot of interest in STEM. I think the phenomenon of miscommunication in science is one that is both interesting and socially relevant. I also love the discussions in this class because many of my peers come from different backgrounds.
I'm officially a sophomore now, which means I've finally experienced all the big Dartmouth campus traditions. Find out what my first impressions of Homecoming, the Winter Carnival, and Green Key were!
Homecoming (bonfire!!):
Homecoming is nothing out of the ordinary; many schools have this tradition of welcoming graduates back to campus for a football game and some college spirit. But Dartmouth has a twist on its annual homecoming tradition—focusing on first-year students instead of alums. Graduates of all years return to the Green to celebrate those who are just starting their Dartmouth journeys.
The bonfire, a giant wooden structure, is built over the course of a few weeks. It sits in the middle of the Green, waiting to be lit on Homecoming Weekend. The bonfire includes panels that represent different student organizations—decorated by their new first-year members. The graduation year of the first-year class sits on the top of the bonfire; this year, it will be "27" for the class of 2027.
As cheesy as it may sound, I felt welcomed to the Dartmouth community during homecoming weekend. Something about seeing the vaguely familiar faces of upper-level students around the bonfire and taking pictures with my new classmates was really heartwarming. I can't wait to see the '27s' bonfire this year.
Winter Carnival:
To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what Winter Carnival really was. All I knew was that there were fun themes each year with cool posters to match. That is true, but there's also so much more to Winter Carnival.
Dartmouth wouldn't be the same without the New Hampshire weather; the cold is essentially one of the school's personality traits. Winter Carnival is a time to embrace the beauty of the winter season. There is an emphasis on winter sports and social winter activities: an ice sculpture contest, snowshoe races, and lots of skiing occur during the carnival weekend.
And I can't forget about the Polar Bear Plunge. It's definitely more on the extreme side, but it's also one of the activities that I'm looking forward to the most this winter. The Polar Bear Plunge takes place in Occom Pond. After the pond freezes over, a section of the ice is cut out, and students take turns going for a quick dip. Maybe I'll face my fear and finally do it this year! I've heard from some friends that it's actually not too bad.
Green Key:
Green Key is a weekend of live music. There are local artists, student bands, and mainstream artists that are brought to campus. Even though I didn't know some of the songs, I enjoyed spending time with my friends. The Dartmouth community felt extra lively during Green Key weekend.
Most of what I knew about Green Key was from my upper-level student friends. They would tell me that it was their favorite weekend on campus and that they had a lot of fun at the concerts. But they also gave me a lot of practical advice. I knew to drink a lot of water, be with people that I felt safe around, and share my location with friends. There were also other events, like Brewhaha, that offered a change of pace: Brewhaha was centered around drinking kombucha and hanging out at the O-farm (Dartmouth Organic Farm).
I think the best advice I received had less to do with Green Key and more to do with Dartmouth in general. Many people told me not to have any expectations for myself and others but rather to go with the flow and have fun wherever the weekend takes me. I surprised myself by making a lot of new friends at the concerts and feeling closer to the ones I already had.
It's easy to forget how easy it is to access walking trails during the hustle of a Dartmouth term. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how special it is to step off campus and enjoy quiet moments in nature.
With a solar eclipse sweeping across North America for the first time in nearly seven years on April 8th came a road-trip with hundreds of other Dartmouth students to a zone of totality near campus: St. Johnsbury, Vermont!
