Cindy Background

Cindy Shen

Class of 2021
Cindy with a plant on her head

About 

Hello there! I am an avid doodler and caffeine addict who can be spotted 24/7 at KAF (the coffee shop in Baker-Berry Library). I've grown up skiing in the Rockies, so I'm a hype man for low temp activities like throwing snow at friends and carving ice sculptures (yes, I actually did that!). Aside from blogging, I am an economics teaching assistant, design mobile, web, and VR apps for Dartmouth's DALI Lab, and travel around with the fencing and debate teams for competitions.

Academic Program 

Economics

Favorite Thing Right Now 

Zoom sessions with my closest friends!

Hometown 

Salt Lake City, Utah

Pronouns 

She/Her

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Cindy's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: The Price System (Prof. Zarnowski)

      Freshman fall flew by! While I unwittingly took some of Dartmouth's more difficult classes, I met so many amazing people and got to explore campus with a fresh set of eyes (I'd never visited before). I also got inspired (after taking my prof to lunch) to pursue a major in economics!

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: The Supreme Court (Prof. Kalish)

      Winter was my favorite term freshman year, largely because I felt more settled into the campus rhythm and took awesome classes. Prof. Kalish (my Writing 5 -- a required class for all freshmen -- professor) was not only fun and insightful, but also made an active effort to connect with every student. It's one of the best classes I've ever taken.

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Macroeconomics (Prof. Comin)

      In my opinion, Hanover is most beautiful in the spring: you see everything from fluffy snowflakes to vibrant blossoms. The weather kept me cheerful, even if spring was my most rigorous term. My favorite class was Econ 22 with Prof. Comin, who led a case-based course that helped us understand the real-world applications of what we were learning. He's also a super cool guy to chat with, and he's done fascinating research.

    • SummerOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Drawing I (Prof. Reisman)

      Most freshmen don't stay "on" their first summer, but I scheduled my D-Plan around my winter internship. Summer didn't disappoint: I love the new friends I made and the classes I took (and I also got super fit from attending two PE classes). Taking Drawing I was also one of the highlights of my summer. It's a lot of work, but I'd rather spend 10 hours on a drawing than 10 hours on a problem set.

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Games & Economic Behavior (Prof. Snyder)

      I finally met the '22s!! (Seriously, you all are so cool.) This term, I took a class on game theory, which is basically a subject where we literally learn about games. While it was by far my most challenging class this term, I thought that what we learned was super rewarding.

    • WinterSalt Lake City, UT

      This was my first "off" term since I arrived on campus! I interned for Cross Creek, a venture capital firm in Salt Lake City, Utah (my hometown!).

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Public Finance & Public Policy (Prof. Skinner)

      I could RAVE about public economics and Prof. Skinner for hours. While public econ wasn't easy, it challenged me to think critically about my political philosophies and about the economic theories I'd previously considered fact. Prof. Skinner was one of the most engaged professors I've ever had; he even recommended a few running routes to me!

    • SummerOn Campus

      Favorite Class: DALI Independent Study (Prof. Loeb)

      The famous "Sophomore Summer" and my second summer on campus! I took an unconventional four-course term complete with Econometrics, Gender & Philosophy, DALI Lab Independent Research, and Independent Studies in Engineering! I had so much fun studying on a dock by the Connecticut River and having lots of gelato under the sun. :)

    • FallWashington D.C.

      Favorite Class: My Internship!

      I had the opportunity of a lifetime to be an economic policy intern at the White House! I loved my job, met incredible people, and had plenty of time to Facetime my friends on campus.

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Comparative Politics (Prof. Horowitz)

      This was such a fun winter! I went skiing with friends, spent a few weekends eating Chinese food in Boston, and to top it all off, I took my very first government class. I really loved learning about political science from a comparative perspective; specifically, how institutions can affect the way a society can vote or even organize collective action. I wish I'd taken more government classes earlier.

    • SpringOn Campus, Virtually

      Favorite Class: Authoritarianism in CE Europe (Prof. Aha)

      While I was physically camped out at home in Salt Lake City, Utah, I still spent plenty of time with friends (albeit over Zoom), and I got to know professors in office hours! I also had the rare chance to spend quality time with my parents and my dog while also learning a lot in my classes on business strategy (offered by the Tuck School of Business) and authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe.

    • SummerNew York City, Virtually

      I spent the summer as an investment research intern at J.P. Morgan. My internship was completely virtual, but I still got to befriend my coworkers, and I'll be going back full-time after I graduate!

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Adam Smith & Political Economy (Prof. Clark)

      After six long months away, I finally came back just in time for the beautiful New England fall. I began writing my economics thesis in a difficult yet rewarding advanced econometrics class with Professor Staiger, attempted acting in a play, and learned about the nuances behind Adam Smith's "invisible hand" (which has become a caricatured generalization of his work). I even made a few new friends out of '24s from six-feet away!

    • WinterUniversity of Oxford, Magdalen College

      I spent my winter term at Oxford studying economics and politics at the beautiful Magdalen College.

    • SpringOn Campus

      I can't believe it's senior spring already! This spring, I'm finishing my thesis and taking classes on creative writing for fiction, costume design, and the economics of gender and family. Be sure to say hello if you're on campus (or Zoom)!

« All Posts by this Blogger

Go Greek or No Greek? Friends and Fun as an Unaffiliated Sophomore

A sizable portion of student body is involved in Greek Life (sorority/fraternity life) at Dartmouth. So you might wonder: is being unaffiliated "social suicide?" 

As a person who is unaffiliated by choice, I can confidently tell you that the answer is no. 

Before I continue, keep in mind that you, dear reader (as a potential or incoming freshman), will have a full year on campus before you can even make the decision to rush a Greek house. That means that you'll have a decent idea of what sorority/fraternity life is like by the time you rush. Personally, I participated in the first round of sorority recruitment before dropping out. While finding another community on campus appealed to me, I realized during rush that I already had multiple communities on campus that didn't require my identity be tethered to a Greek label. I didn't see a point in continuing recruitment, and I've been really happy with my decision since. 

For more perspective on this topic, here's my social life as a new sophomore, sans-affiliation: 

  1. No. 1

    Same Amazing Friends

    Blog Cindy 18f

    At Dartmouth, you get to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds with different interests and hobbies. As a result, my friends are in an array of different clubs/organizations/activities on campus and a mix of affiliated and unaffiliated people. The addition of Greek Life hasn't changed my friendships at all; we're closer than ever.

  2. No. 2

    Meeting 22s!

    Blog Cindy 18f

    I've met a ton of '22s this term! This is Alisya, she's one of my lovely debate babies.

  3. No. 3

    Ice Cream Outings

    Blog Cindy 18f

    It's an autumn tradition to go to IC4U (Ice Cream Fore-You) and order a baby cone (that's actually giant). Rookie mistake if you order a small ... it's enough ice cream to feed a family.

  4. No. 4

    Fencing Socials!

    Blog Cindy 18f

    As the fencing team's outreach chair, I host community events (like this scavenger hunt!) to promote an inclusive and supportive atmosphere. 

  5. No. 5

    Formalities

    Blog Cindy 18f

    I love dressing up. Thankfully, Dartmouth formals give me plenty of chances to do so. Many clubs, organizations, and LLCs on campus host their own formals, as do fraternities and sororities at the end of each term. Chances are, you'll have an overload of excuses to get dolled up.

  6. No. 6

    Plenty of Glitter

    Blog Cindy 18f

    As I've mentioned already, I love dressing up. When events have themes like outer space (pictured above), Pixar, or Hogwarts, I go all out. 

  7. No. 7

    #CuffingSZN

    Blog Cindy 18f

    My biggest support is my best friend and roommate, Steph. This photo was taken at a #cuffingszn event with her sorority where we were "cuffed" together (as if we weren't already).

Posted 12/28/2018 at 12:30 PMAll List Posts

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