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!
Growing up, I wasn't always a person who liked trying new things because I feared regretting it. However, being home away from college has taught me that I will have to do so whether I like it or not. And it hasn't been the most ideal or perfect, but it's been enjoyable and has left me with many memories. I've tried new food, and new activities, and met new people. These all required stepping outside of my comfort zone.
New food: FOCO embraces a lot of countries' cuisine, and they try their best to imitate a dish; the Zimbabwe Chicken Stew" is one of them. FOCO often serves this dish and I've never tried Zimbabwe food back home, so trying it here was great. Without FOCO, I wouldn't have eaten most of the food I have tried on my own will.
New activities: There are many Dartmouth traditions. Coming here, I was aware of that. When it comes to activities, I'm much more willing to try something new in comparison to trying new food or meeting new people. Trying new activities always leaves me feeling so experienced and teaches me so much. If they are negative, I try to learn from them and it awakens me as to what I like and what I don't. Some of the traditions I've tried here so far are the Bonfire, the Twilight Ceremony, and Matriculation. All of these were very new and coming from New York City forced me to do something new.
New People: Meeting new people can also be a big risk. That's because as different people, you're more likely to encounter people with whom you're not interested in knowing more about or staying in contact with. But then ironically, these are also the times when you're more likely to experience more longevity with them. For me, I have met people who I know are going to be here for the long run, and not just for college.
I have written about being a student worker plenty of times in the past, but I have yet to talk about one of my favorite jobs ever: ticket selling at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, a phenomenal total solar eclipse occurred — and we happened to be within the path of totality. As a result, Dartmouth hosted a variety of eclipse-related events on- and off-campus. Find out how I spent the eclipse!
