Hello! My name is Tacko Diop and I'm from Harlem, New York City. But ethnic-wise, I'm Senegalese. I'm interested in many different things, but I am pre-med and going to major in Biology with a minor in Public Policy! Aside from English, I speak Wolof, French, Arabic, and a bit of Spanish. My favorite things to do are to watch period pieces, read different genres of books, and spend time with family and friends. I love Dartmouth's close community and I am so excited for the next four years here!
Harlem is a very small and urban place. If you've lived there for most of your life as I have, then you are familiar with so many different people and places. Hanover is also very small but it's more rural. I've already met so many people here and I never fail to say "hi" to everyone walking down the street. However, unlike Harlem, you can't just go to a corner store at any time of the day and return home. This school has already taught me to take advantage of all of my surroundings and resources and make the most out it. So far, I have already made a home for myself. When I return home for the first time, I don't think I'll even be moving as much just because of how I've gotten adjusted to life here on campus.
Moving from Harlem also meant that I would have to get used to different traditions and cultures here. Back home, most of the year would be spent practicing Ramadan (a time of fasting and religious devotion for Muslims all over the world), celebrating Eid-al-Adha, Eid-Al-Fitr, and other times of celebration. These all hold a lot of memories, meaning, and importance behind them for me. And while they still do, I have yet to experience this being away from home. I am very excited to come together with people from the same cultural and religious background as me and make memories.
Here, there are also many different traditions. For instance, the infamous Bonfire, the Twilight Ceremony, Homecoming, etc. These are all traditions that are still very new to me. However, being open to discovering what they are about and participating in them is what I'm most looking forward to. So far, I have attended the Twilight Ceremony and that was such an amazing experience for me. I was so happy to be around all of the other 2027s and just celebrate being the new class on campus!
But there you have it!! That's what I appreciate the most about moving away from home, specifically from Harlem. It's different but I know that I will be able to incorporate so much of life back home here on campus. Bringing both of these aspects of my life together will be an enriching journey, as it has already been so far.
It's easy to forget how easy it is to access walking trails during the hustle of a Dartmouth term. As graduation nears, I am reminded of how special it is to step off campus and enjoy quiet moments in nature.
With a solar eclipse sweeping across North America for the first time in nearly seven years on April 8th came a road-trip with hundreds of other Dartmouth students to a zone of totality near campus: St. Johnsbury, Vermont!
