Hi friends and welcome to my page! I'm Emily, a '25 from a town where winter rarely comes to visit and departs after only a few days. In my spare time, I love to read fiction novels, bake cinnamon rolls, play card games, solve riddles, delve into conspiracy theories, and engage in any water activity. I'm thrilled you're here and hope you enjoy!
My fall term began with my favorite class so far at Dartmouth: Antiquity Today. In this intro-level Classics course, we analyzed our own culture through comparison. Delving into topics of violence in entertainment, philosophies of government, and attitudes about sex, we deconstructed our own cultural norms and biases through comparing them with the practices of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Embracing the spirit of the Greeks' dramatic stage was the wonderful professor, Paul Christesen. He would bring a bag of goodies and distribute them to students who asked questions as incentives for students to engage with the course material. Overall, I feel that I have learned worlds about my time as well as the past and can see the world through an enhanced sense thanks to this course.
In an introductory-level Earth Sciences class, we traveled through time studying the origin of the planet, the history of life on earth, its migration to land, as well as the mass extinctions that plagued ancient populations. A key component of this conversation was the earth’s current state, and how we are experiencing the beginning of the sixth mass extinction in earth’s history. We discussed causes of the earth’s critical state and compared carbon levels throughout time to better understand our current carbon situation. In homework assignments, we took what we learned in the classroom into the field, which was my favorite component of the course. We wrapped up the class with the coolest project: Constructing a proposal that would meet the goals set in Biden’s energy plan as practically as possible.
As a last-minute change during Dartmouth's 'add-drop' period (the two weeks where students can make scheduling adjustments), I checked this class's box on a whim. I surely was glad I did because we engaged in some of the most interesting discussions about what makes up a religion and how other frameworks, like economic systems, can overlap. Over the term, we delved into the history of capitalism, the depraved ethics behind the origin of America's capitalistic system, and the Catholic Church's role in capitalism through usury. Very engaging and applicable class to round out Freshman Spring!
What is the soul? Is it the same as the mind? What's the difference between the mind and the brain? How does the heart factor in?
I absolutely adored this class that took a stab at the big questions! Or, at least, guided us through how the ancient philosophers viewed the intangible things that make us who we are. From readings about ancient physics-which could be surprisingly accurate!-to discussions about ancient views on psychiatric disabilities, we pieced together answers and started seeing from the eyes of the great thinkers of the day!
Over the summer, I had the opportunity of a lifetime: living in Rome on study abroad! And as someone who's never traveled abroad before, this was a HUGE deal for me. While I can't do the experience justice with a brief summary, I'll save the full story for a future post—stay tuned! ;)
Long story short, we traveled across the country, seeing the differences in dialects, customs, cuisine, and interpersonal relationships present in the different regions. We pushed our memories to the limit by learning 2 Italian courses in ten weeks. We saw the most beautiful structures built by human hands (with most looking like they were built by some divine being). My favorite part about the experience was the communal aspect of living with friends in an apartment, where we cooked together, watched Italian movies together, and even staged a fake wedding for two of the people on our program! While it was definitely my favorite summer on the books, by the end I was feeling a little homesick; I wanted to sleep in my own bed, with my childhood comforter that smells like home, and I wanted to hear the familiar sound of the dinner bell as my dad finishes cooking gumbo for the family.
My favorite ceiling I saw in Rome! Bellissimo!
However, when I returned home, it wasn't as comforting as I thought it would be: the days passed too quickly, and before I knew it, I was traveling back to campus again. On the plane, I wished I had more time at home to regain my footing back in the US before classes started. That is until we drove up to campus and the wave of nostalgia surged through me.
It wasn't long before I was running up to my friends in FOCO, our main dining hall, to give them the biggest hugs after being apart all summer. Joy flooded through me while seeing something as simple as people playing spike ball on the green or having picnics together. After some reflection, I've realized that Dartmouth is that grounding, homely place I was yearning for. After being back for only a week, I already feel my familiar routine kicking in, my adventurous spirit returning, and my Dartmouth community encircling and accepting the person I am after a momentous change like living abroad. Dartmouth, I'm so glad to be home!
Me and my friends sharing the biggest hug after being apart for the summer!
Every Dartmouth student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English. Here's my experience navigating the language requirement!
