Emily Hemelt
You are here
Rocks Around the Region!
I've always been more of a humanities girl—high school chemistry and I had a reactive relationship to say the least—but after taking a little time to let the dust settle, I decided to give it another chance. This term, I ventured out into the realm of science and am taking an earth science class—Earth Science 002 with Professor Justin Strauss—where we have been learning the history of the rocks we live on. And for our first assignment, our professor challenged us to get outside!
Our goal: Visit buildings on campus to identify the rocks holding them up.
Key players: Lebanon Granite, Ammonoosuc Volcanics, and Longmeadow Sandstone.
Crunching in the snow—seriously, it's the most satisfying thing!—I discovered a building I didn't even know was on campus! The Bartlett Tower, a little ways past the observatory (where you can see the stars for astronomy class!), reminded me of the sort of place you might find a princess with long golden hair. I was surprised to learn there was a Society named after the tower and could not believe I had not seen it before!
After a few more stops, we got to the last bit of the assignment: the part where we learned of what lies beneath the Green! Turns out, the college is built atop the remains of an ancient glacial lake. We actually were able to measure what the height of the lake would have been before it drained, and we used Baker Library Bell Tower as a reference!
Overall, I found it to be a valuable experience because you begin seeing what you study in real life, as opposed to pictures in a textbook. Now, I can identify components of the world around me, their history, and their origin—not only in buildings but also on hikes and drives around the area! While this is only the beginning of the class, I feel I've already learned so much about my environment in the first two weeks and even met a few more friendly faces from my class while on the adventure!
Posts You Might Like
This blog is the follow-up to my first post about TuckLab Entrepreneurship!
I am working towards my Global Health Fellows certificate through Dartmouth's Dickey Center for International Understanding. Read on to learn more!
I was excited to hear that two of my friends will be studying abroad in Ghana. Talking with them about what to expect from the program made me remember all the great memories and lessons I made and learned from my study abroad experience there.
What does a Classical Studies major even study?
In this blog post, I want to delve into the intricacies of declaring a major, drawing from my personal experiences.
Last week, I returned from my AIARE 1 course, which focuses on decision-making in avalanche terrain. The program involved a weekend away from school to learn about snow safety, avalanche rescue techniques, and more.
I asked some of my fellow study abroad friends for their vacation week highlights!
The week before finals start is a stressful time on any college campus. Here's how I take care of myself before the last push of the term!