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 a non-native Mandarin speaker, I have many faults: a glaring American accent, a severely limited vocabulary, and a fondness for Chinglish—a broken combination of Chinese and English. So when I was placed into Chinese 4, an accelerated program that would complete my language requirement in a ten week term, I immediately panicked. Although I felt prepared to attend the five 50 minute lectures that were reading and writing based, I dreaded the idea of speaking during drill. For those of you who may not know, Dartmouth students learn foreign languages through the Rassias Method, a technique that was coined by former Dartmouth professor John Rassias. Drills are designed to help students improve their pronunciation through repetition and exposure.
On Tuesday, I sprinted to drill for the first time, profusely sweating as I slid into my seat at 7:45am. Our desks were arranged in a semicircle, and Lucy (my drill instructor) knelt in the middle so she could see everyone. After we all introduced ourselves, Lucy would say short phrases that the entire class would repeat. Then, she would snap her fingers, randomly select a student, and then the student would repeat the phrase back. If a student said the phrase or pitch incorrectly, Lucy would correct the student. Even though the concept seemed intimidating, we bonded over our shared struggles. What was even more impressive was that the entire session was conducted in Mandarin, with little to no English. It was gratifying to be able to comprehend and converse with Lucy in a relaxed, casual atmosphere.
Me: "Peter, pretend to read this book." Professor passing us on the street: "Actually read the book!"
I'm very glad that I chose to challenge myself by taking a Mandarin course this term. Not only will I get to see my Mandarin accent improve, but I love talking to the other Chinese 4 people as we cram for quizzes during breakfast and study for tests in the library. For now, my only complaint is that 7:45am drill is way too early.
From the flipped class I took my fall term and to this "multi-lens" style even amidst online instruction, I'm finding myself liking the occasional element of surprise and how Dartmouth classes keep me on my toes.
Expecting my SCI distrib to be a burden, I started this class without much enthusiasm. However, I quickly realized this was the class I never knew I needed.
Two classes — "History, Culture, and Society: The Many Faces of Latin America" and "African American Religion and Culture in Jim Crow America" — have helped me learn more about my roots as an Afro-Panamanian man!
I've stayed connected with my various groups on campus — my rowing team held a Zoom call with all 40 of us while my dance group, Sugarplum, has been busy using TikTok to show off our new quarantine choreography.
One of the most exciting times of the academic year for me is when we get to pick classes for the upcoming term. How does one know which classes to take? Here are three ways I guide my course selection.
