Hello, Eda here: full-time learner, part-time writer, and pretty much a happy amateur at everything else. My hobbies include reading, discovering new movies, and looking at the pictures of my cat. On campus, you can find me peer supporting for the Mental Health Union and SAPA, writing for Spare Rib, doing research in psychology, or listening to Turkish & English alt-rock. Feel free to ask me about taking a gap year, transitioning to a new cultural space, or college in general!
This class discusses the concepts of sex and gender in the broader context of issues related to race, class, national identity, and more. I loved this class because it helped me better understand how systemic inequality affects individual lives and made me think about ways to change it. Professor A'Ness is such an inspiring prof!
In this first-year writing seminar, we discussed how avant-garde movements from futurism to punk rock have constituted a rebellion against the status quo. I loved all the readings for this class and Professor McCann inspired me to take more courses in the English department!
In this course, we learned all the basics of fiction: character, plot, setting, etc. My favorite parts of the course were receiving feedback from other students, reading my peers' work, and having fiction readings as assigned course work! I also appreciated all the guest speakers we had, who were experienced writers in their respective genres.
As an aspiring clinical psychologist, this course has been one of the best classes I have taken at Dartmouth so far. The class focused on the etiology, diagnosis, characteristics and treatment of various mental disorders. Professor Hudenko has been one of the greatest lectures I had the pleasure of meeting. As a clinical psychologist himself, he had extensive knowledge in not only the theory, but also the practice of clinical psychology. He also succeeded in making a lecture-based class feel interactive and dynamic.
We covered the complex neural and biological mechanisms of multiple mental health disorders ranging from common conditions like anxiety to more complicated illnesses such as schizophrenia. In addition to reading about the cutting-edge research in this area, we also read memoirs and watched documentaries about the mental illnesses to focus on how these conditions are affecting people in real life. Professor Funnell is one of the best profs I had!
As an aspiring clinical psychologist, this has been one of my favorite classes at Dartmouth. We learned about different therapy methods, how and when to use them, their advantages, and shortcomings. The class was incredibly engaging with Professor Hudenko's frequent demonstrations of methods, therapy videos, and guest speakers. I would recommend this class to every psychology major.
I worked at Dimock Health Center as part of my community health internship. I was part of a team of summer interns who were college students like myself. We worked as patient advocates that helped people reach out to resources regarding housing, food, utilities, etc. Most of our work involved calling patients, helping them fill out forms, and researching resources. I learned so much about community health resources and how to communicate with a diverse set of patients. It was an invaluable experience!
I took classes in the School of English and Drama at Queen Mary University of London. My favorite class of the term was called London Performance Now, which involved going to different performance events in London and discussing them in class. It was the perfect opportunity to explore the cultural landscape of London.
As the title of the course suggests, this class was about food: its history, economics, and cultural practices. I learned a lot through this course thanks to guest speakers, thought-provoking readings, and engaging assignments. My favorite assignment in this course was writing about a family recipe; I learned so much about my family's history as well as the cultural conflicts in my home country. Overall, it was among the best classes I have taken at Dartmouth. Plus, we even got to eat delicious food cooked by our classmates!
You are a prospective student, spending hours researching colleges. You come across Dartmouth. It seems like the perfect fit: its liberal arts focus with small class sizes, the faculty who love teaching, the gorgeous outdoors, and the diverse community. But you realize there is something odd about this College on the Hill. You can't help but ask: Why is Greek life such a big deal here? And if you are an international student who is as clueless as I once was, and still lowkey am, you might even ask: What is Greek life?
Traditional Greek life consists of fraternities, only for men, and sororities, only for women. Nowadays, there are more diverse Greek spaces, including gender-inclusive Greek houses. All Greek organizations at Dartmouth uphold six principles: brotherhood/sisterhood, leadership, inclusivity, service, scholarship, and accountability.
All I knew before coming to campus was that Greek life was an excuse for college students to get drunk and party. I felt alienated from most party scenes in fraternities in my freshman fall, partly because my music taste did not align with theirs, partly because I hadn't met the right people yet, but some enjoyed going out to the frats. While some of my friends were enthusiastic about joining Greek life, such adherence to random Greek letters and calling people who were still practically strangers "brothers" or "sisters" felt strange to me. (Not to mention that they do not even pronounce those Greek letters correctly, according to one Greek student I have met). Also, why was the system built on archaic gender binaries? I, like many of my international friends, was confident that I would never rush. But when sophomore fall came around, I found that many people who did not even consider rushing were now affiliated with Greek life, including myself.
After all, Greek life is a big deal here. While there are plenty of open-to-campus events, there is an equal number of member-only events that bring privileges. It's a busy campus, and it's hard to get to know people, so Greek spaces allow students to socialize during member-only or invite-only events; It can be an outlet for finding like-minded people. Despite this, before the rush process, I already had a solid social support system. I also met people who share my passions in clubs and student organizations, such as Spare Rib, the intersectional feminist zine, and the Mental Health Student Union. Rushing is not necessary to have a vibrant, rich social life on campus.
Then, why did you rush, you ask?
I rushed because I wanted to prove to myself that I could find people like me in Greek spaces, who are committed to building a much safer and more inclusive community on campus. That's why I joined Alpha Theta, the gender-inclusive Greek house on campus. Before rushing, I felt like their open-to-campus tails were the safest and most enjoyable party scene I could find myself in on Friday nights with sober monitors, better drinks, music I can dance to, and welcoming members. Since joining Alpha Theta, I have gotten to know the members even more, and I could not be happier about my decision.
At the end of the day, all Dartmouth students would admit Greek life is a big deal here. But it doesn't have to be one of the defining features of your college experience. You can be as involved as you'd like or not at all. Sometimes it takes a little work, but you can find a space you feel like you can belong on this campus.
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!
