Hey everyone! I'm Cooper from Wayne, Pennsylvania, which is right outside of Philadelphia. I am a '28 here at Dartmouth, and plan on studying Government and Quantitative Social Science. In my free time, I love getting food with friends, playing pickleball, watching sitcoms (personal favorite is Modern Family), and going on walks. I am super excited to be here and cannot wait to take you along my journey at Dartmouth!
Hey there! My name is Cooper Ballard, I am from Wayne, Pennsylvania, a town right outside of Philadelphia (go Phils!), and I am a '28 here at Dartmouth College. Welcome to my blog! Let me talk about some of my favorite things in my life. My favorite vacation spot is Maine, my favorite TV show is Modern Family, my favorite movie is Everything Everywhere All at Once, and my favorite food is Caesar salad. Regarding that last one, I actually have a notes app on my phone with ratings of every single Caesar salad I have had in my life!
A beautiful picture of Baker-Berry library in the evening!
At Dartmouth, I plan on studying Government and Quantitative Social Science, but one beautiful thing about Dartmouth is that I do not have to declare a major until my sophomore year! As an avid music enthusiast, I plan to spend a lot of my time in the Hopkins Center for the Arts (which, by the way, is getting completely redone and expanded). Some of my favorite artists include Lizzy McAlpine, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish. I absolutely LOVE pickleball, so I plan on playing for several days of the week on Dartmouth's very own courts! Seriously, if you have a hobby you are passionate about, whether it be common or uncommon, Dartmouth almost certainly has a place to indulge in such an interest. Anything is possible—I mean, we even have our own ski lodge!
Although I have only been here for a little over two weeks, I have been so lucky to experience so many of Dartmouth's traditions already: the dining hall cookies,aka FoCo—short for "food court"—cookies (quite possibly the best cookies I have ever had), matriculation with President Beilock, the Twilight Ceremony, and so much more! Through such traditions, I have been able to meet so many incredible and passionate people from all around the world, and I cannot wait to continue to get to know everyone on campus.
A picture of me and my friends at the Twilight Ceremony!
Some other aspects of Dartmouth that I already love are the beautiful fall weather (seriously, seeing the leaves change color is truly an emotional experience), the town of Hanover that is bustling with shops and restaurants (highly recommend Lou's Bakery), and the incredibly rewarding academics. Even though I have only been in classes for a week, I am already in awe of the content and the professors' passion for teaching. It is undoubtedly evident that Dartmouth is starting to become my second home.
I cannot wait to share my Dartmouth journey with you all!
Welcome to my blog! Here you'll find snapshots of my life and explorations at Dartmouth, ruminations on life, outdoor adventures, process of finding my major and more. I can't wait to show you around!
My time at Dartmouth has been filled with a lot of change, yet I'm struck by how similar Dartmouth is to my life back home, or rather, how Dartmouth is quickly becoming a place I call home.
