

Diana D'Souza

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Diana's D-Plan
What's a D-Plan?-
FallOn Campus
Favorite Class: Comparative Literature 1: Read the WorldI ended up taking this class for two reasons. First, I needed to fulfill my CI requirement; second, my friend was also taking it. Regardless, it ended up being my favorite class Fall term. Professor Washburn is an engaging, spontaneous professor and we studied everything from memes to The Tale of Genji. By the end of the term, I found myself to be a more confident and humbled writer.
WinterOn Campus
Favorite Class: Chinese 22: Intermediate Modern ChineseThis was my second time taking a 9 am class with Chen Laoshi. She is understanding, funny, and always eager to help. Even though this was a fast-paced class with daily quizzes, weekly tests, and new vocabulary sets every other day, I became extremely close with my classmates and more excited about learning the language. We ended the term over a feast of dumplings Laoshi prepared!
SpringOn Campus
Favorite Class: Religion 26: Islam in AmericaBecause this term was online, I used my extra time to study a subject that has always fascinated me. Professor Ayubi was incredibly accomodating by allowing us to complete work at our own pace. The most memorable parts of the class were examining anti-Muslim materials during a virtual tour to Rauner Library and exploring Muslim punk rock through the movie Taqwacores.

Build a Roller Coaster? No Problem.
I've long heard my friends rave about the iconic Dartmouth class ENGS 12, Design Thinking.


Goodbye, for now
I started this blog about plants, so it seems fitting to end my last post of freshman year with more plant updates.
Quarantine Eats
I'm not a chef, but I can try.
- No. 1
Monday
I started off easy with Ling Ling dumplings. I boiled them in a pot for ten minutes, drained the water, and then fried them in oil for two minutes on each side. Overall, I was pretty pleased. We got that nice browning, a bit of crunch, and best of all, it wasn’t raw. I helped myself to a side of blueberries and a cup of cranberry juice.
- No. 2
Tuesday
Today, I warmed up frozen samosas (filled with chickpeas, potatoes, and peas) in the oven. Chopping up the onion was a painful experience. It certainly wasn’t a fine dice, but I persevered despite tearing up. My mother ended up mixing the onions with the chicken (pictured at the top).
- No. 3
Wednesday
This salad was by far my proudest achievement. As an avid salad eater, I ate a salad at least once a day at Dartmouth; I highly recommend the Hop’s Kale Chicken Caesar Salad. For today’s salad, I chopped up a head of lettuce, tossed in a handful of cherry tomatoes, and attempted to julienne a carrot. I also gathered the croutons, dressing, parmesan cheese, and extra carrots on the side.

How Can I Help?
It's easy to feel powerless during quarantine, trapped in your house with nothing to do. I hope to play a small role in making the pandemic more manageable as a CovEducation volunteer.
My 20S Schedule
Even though this term isn't what I imagined, virtual schooling has made me realize how much I miss Dartmouth.
- No. 1
CHIN 23: Intermediate Modern Chinese
I start my weekdays with Chinese class from 9:05-9:55 AM. Professor Li, a visiting scholar from Beijing Normal University, teaches us vocabulary sets and grammar, but our readings are more complex than last term’s. We have read about Amy Chua’s book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, China’s one-child policy, and environmental laws. Professor Li also challenges us to read news reports and watch interviews (such as in the picture above) to better prepare us for our study abroad program in Beijing.
- No. 2
ASCL 10.01: Introduction to Chinese Culture
My Introduction to Chinese Culture course is taught by Professor Levi Gibbs and Miya Xie. The class is asynchronous, which means I listen to pre-recorded lectures at my own pace. In addition to the hour lecture, there are about 150 pages of reading and 3 discussion posts each week. As someone who has exclusively studied the Chinese language, I recently realized that I love learning about Chinese religion, art, music, and dynasties. This week, we learned about the Ghost Festival, a holiday wherein people bring out tables to the streets and then burn foods and paper artifacts to feed wandering ghosts. I am definitely interested in taking more courses in the Asian Societies Cultures Languages Department, especially calligraphy!
- No. 3
PSYC 7.02: Brain Evolution
I am not a STEM gal, so I immediately jumped at the chance to fulfill my science distribution with Professor Granger’s First Year Seminar on Brain Evolution. We meet twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:25-4:15 PM. The class revolves around Striedter’s textbook Principles of Brain Evolution, so each student is responsible for teaching the class half a chapter. Professor Granger steps in to clarify difficult concepts or to review writing strategies. This term, we will write four essays, which will undergo a rigorous revision process. I just completed my first essay about bilingualism, and I am excited to explore the effectiveness of antidepressants.

Why Dartmouth, Take Three
I looked back on my "Why Dartmouth" essays to relive why I (and hopefully you) fell in love with my school.

WRIT 5: Rhetoric and Disability
Dartmouth's liberal arts curriculum requires first year students to take Writing 2-3 or Writing 5. This term, I took Writing 5: Rhetoric and Disability with Professor Annika Konrad.

It's Tea Time
This week, I attended a talk led by Associate Professor of Music William Cheng, who researches history, media, ethics, disability, race, and video games.

Is It Winter Carnival Yet(i)?
Over the past few days, the campus had been buzzing about Winter Carnival. I even watched a Loch Ness Snow Monster come to life. You know, typical Dartmouth for you.