Hello friends! My name is Diana D'Souza and I am pursuing a double major in Economics and Chinese. On campus, I live in the Humanities LLC and write for the Opinion section of The Dartmouth. I also serve on the Women in Business (WIB) Executive Board as the Co–Alumni Relations Chair. In my free time, I enjoy swimming, curating Spotify playlists, and baking with friends.
As I approach the beginning of Week 6, it feels surreal that my first term as a Dartmouth freshman is halfway over. I wanted to use this post as a way to showcase some of the highlights of my week.
1. After dashing out of bed and sprinting to class, there is nothing more refreshing than seeing Hanover's fall foliage. Even though I am from the Northeast, I have never seen such vividly colored leaves. (The leaves in Edison turn brown quite quickly.)
2. As the Democratic primaries approach, many candidates have come to rally and speak to Dartmouth students—especially because New Hampshire is the first state to vote in the primaries. A couple of weeks ago, my friends and I attended the Bernie Sanders' rally at BEMA (an open grassy area known as the Big Empty Meeting Area). Sanders discussed topics such as Trump's impeachment, his plans to cancel student debt, and gun control. Other political figures that also paid a visit to campus this month included William Weld, Cory Booker, and Pete Buttigieg's husband Chasten.
3. This term I have been consumed by one obsession: getting a pink Dartmouth crew neck from the Dartmouth Co-Op. Every time a new wave of students would start wearing their non-green apparel, I would make the trek to the Co-Op only to find that everything had been sold out. This Tuesday, I was finally successful in my pursuit of the crew neck; I had never felt so accomplished.
4. The Collis Programming Board invited the PB Animal House Petting Farm this Tuesday. Being surrounded by goats, pigs, sheep, and alpacas really helped provide that final push of midterm motivation.
One of the best parts about Dartmouth is that the novelty never wears off. It is the little things—like getting to pet Winston the dog at Robinson Hall or trying the cannolis at FoCo—that make you want the term to never end.
I have officially settled into my new dorm! Come take a peek at what residential life is like, and some opportunities that might come after the quarantine!
After a six week break, I'm back. My winterim was a fun mix of staying at home, binge-watching Survivor, celebrating the holidays, and enjoying the Southern Californian landscape, so I'm feeling refreshed to dive back into blogging!
One of my favorite things to do as a Dartmouth student is going to all the various talks, lecture series, and events that the school holds throughout the year. Here's why!
A school had to meet three criteria for me to consider it a "good fit": academics, location, and community. After researching about Dartmouth and visiting the campus, I realized that this school was not a good fit for me-- it was a perfect fit.
This winter, I will resume classes on campus again -- a little older, a little wiser, and yet no less excited to fall countless times while attempting to ice skate. Upper Valley winter, here I come!
From the pandemic to the election, to online learning, every month seemed to be a new level of Jumanji. However, we have made it. And though 2020 has given me great lessons and experiences, I am looking forward to this new year and for what it holds.
Over the course of my sophomore fall, I had the opportunity to take a linguistics field methods class. During the course, we had the one-of-a-kind opportunity to study the Zophei language from Myanmar!
