Summer Weekends on Campus
As you may already know, I am spending this summer in Boston unlike most sophomores. Instead of taking classes for sophomore summer, I am doing a Dartmouth Center for Social Impact (DCSI) internship. Still, I have been visiting Dartmouth quite often this term to see my friends and partner on campus. It's a change of pace to see what weekends are like in summer with so few people in Hanover. Here is how I have been spending time on campus on sophomore summer weekends!
Spare Rib
I have written about Spare Rib, the intersectional feminist zone on campus, many times before. This summer, the wonderful sophomores in Spare Rib were kind enough to schedule leadership meetings during the weekends, which meant I could also attend them. Before I could start attending meetings during the weekends, they did all the planning for our termly tradition sip n flip, during which we flip through our newest addition while sipping something delicious with some snacks. So far, we have been planning socials, such as movie nights, board game nights, hikes, and small excursions. Spare Rib has also been collaborating with the Dartmouth chapter of the Sunrise movement to plan a reproductive justice awareness week. I may write more about that once it comes to fruition, so stay tuned!
Catching up with friends
Since most of my friends are international students, I do not have as many friends on campus who are currently taking classes, but luckily for me, one of my best friends happened to be on for sophomore summer. She is a Studio Art major, who is currently taking two studio art classes: SART 15: Drawing I and SART 23: Figure Sculpting. She is also leading the Dartmouth chapter of Sunrise. At the beginning of summer, Dartmouth finally opened a free thrift store on campus, which has been a work in progress for a few months now. My friend has receives funding from the sustainability office to complete this project. I'm incredibly honored and grateful that I know such an inspiring human being. Here is the link to her art website with projects she completed in studio art classes: https://www.gracehillery.org/
Exploring the Upper Valley
As a rising junior, I finally know enough people with cars that we can take small weekend trips to nearby towns. Last weekend, I finally got to eat at the Turkish restaurant in White River Junction, Vermont, a 15-minute drive from campus. There is also a small gift store across from the Turkish restaurant that sells little trinkets, spices, and products from Turkey. It feels so special to find little pieces of home an ocean away.
Water!
As temperatures rise and the water no longer freezes one to the bone, it is the perfect time to make the most of what the Connecticut River has to offer. You can rent canoes, paddleboards, and kayaks, or just dip in the river to escape the summer heat.
There's a lot to do on campus during sophomore summer, from attending free outdoors Hopkins Center for the Arts events to going on Dartmouth Outing Club trips. Read other sophomore bloggers' blogs to see what they are up to!