Hello friends! My name is Diana D'Souza and I am currently considering a major in Economics and a minor in Government. On campus, I live in the Humanities LLC and write for the Opinion section of The Dartmouth. I am also looking forward to joining Dartmouth Women in Business and The Dandelion Project. You can find me binge watching Breaking Bad in the McLaughlin common room or feasting at the FOCO dessert bar.
Academic Program
Interested in Economics (major), journalism, and Mandarin
Clustered between the Hop and Wilson Hall, you will find the Hood Museum of Art, home to some of the most impressive Native American and Australian indigenous art. Although I had frequently passed the Hood during my late night food dashes, I never stepped foot inside until my Humanities floor joined Professor Timothy Baker '08 and Associate Curator Amelia Kahl '01 for a tour.
Curator Amelia Kahl '01
Our tour was divided into two parts, the first of which was a guided tour, where Amelia spoke about the history of the artwork and answered questions. We began by entering the landscape exhibit and I vividly remember a painting reminiscent of the Lorax—with puffy, cotton candy-like trees, a pink sky, and a spattering of flowers in rolling green grass. Next, we proceeded to look at Native American art (baskets, wallets, and pottery) before entering my favorite exhibit: The Politics of Pink. This exhibit, which was designed by Charlotte Grussing '19, embraced how women are stereotypically associated with the color pink. By drowning the exhibit in pink and showcasing the works of women, she was successful in proving that women can reclaim the color pink.
"The Butcher's Tale" (La Mesa del Carnicero), part of the Politics in Pink Exhibit
The second part of the tour took us upstairs, where we had ten minutes to explore as much as we could before the tour concluded. As I admired masks, sculptures, and expansive paintings, I found myself drawn to Allison Saar's "Cache," the focal point of the room. The sculpture features a naked woman curled on the floor with a massive ball of hair weighing her down. Kahl mentioned that it was a symbolic piece that spoke to the woman's struggle of being of both African and European ancestry.
At the end of the tour, we broke out into a Q&A session. Kahl informed us that Dartmouth owns over 150,000 pieces of art, but only 1.5-2% of them are showcased at a time. Every term, the Hood attempts to update or replace exhibits in order to keep the novelty of the museum alive. Besides stopping by for a quick stroll, she encouraged us to conduct research in the museum as an intern, to design our own exhibits, or to request to study an artifact for class. Being able to engage with the Hood staff while discussing beautiful yet intriguing pieces of art made me better appreciate the value Dartmouth places in the humanities.
One thing that I had yet to do on campus was make jewelry at the Donald Claflin Jewelry Studio. Although the rings I made would definitely not be sellable, I learned so much about the process of jewelry-making.
Between a busy class schedule and numerous cultural activities, taking time to stop and appreciate a good book or piece of art has been hard. However, this week I took the conscious decision to step it up and make the arts a part of my routine!
好好学习，天天向上。During my first week in Beijing, my Professor 步老师 (teacher Bu) wrote this popular Chinese saying on the board. It means that if you study well, you'll improve day by day.
My post-college plans also played a role in my course election process, because I'm interested in going to medical school, but I want to major in something humanities related.
In this class, we've learned about the history of the United States of America, the presidency, and how religion has potentially affected both of those things.
Ever since I was introduced to Dartmouth, I was told that the small school setting allowed for the development of strong bonds, even with teachers. After taking three classes at Dartmouth, I can already tell you that's the truth.
Course selection for winter term opened during week eight, and all freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors were given around a week to pick our top three classes. Winter term, I am ready for you!
