Hi everyone! I'm Estelle, a '23 from Seattle, WA. When not in class you can find me perusing every shelf at Left Bank Books, getting fresh bread at Umpleby's Bakery, spending time with friends, looking for a cup of coffee, and listening to music. I am a member of the Entrepreneurship LLC and a few on-campus clubs focused on service, mental health, and business. I work part-time at the Magnuson Center, most of the time on homework, and full-time at navigating this new world that is Dartmouth!
Before we became Dartmouth students, the Class of 2023 were members of communities that spanned the globe. While Dartmouth alum are bound by the commonality of collegiate experience, we enter college deeply connected to our roots.
For example, at home, I don't consider myself much of a Seattleite. Only a few years new to the vibrant city, my steps upon the rainbow crossroads (truly!) are quiet ones. Never the hot-blooded Seattleite garbed in green and blue, I tend to wave a feeble "not tourist" flag to preserve my citizenship. Perhaps that sounds familiar to some of you as well.
Even as I tried to find my place in Seattle, I wasn't blind to its flaws. I'm sure none of us ignore the shortcomings of our hometowns. In my city, high homelessness rates, growing disparities between haves and have-nots, and various social conundrums are a consistent reminder of the flaws surrounding us as I try to pursue my academic dreams. Asking "how do I help?" led me to Dartmouth.
Dartmouth provides an idyllic setting in which to explore the world and our place within it. I hadn't expected to grow fonder of my city while studying in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. And yet, that is exactly what happened. I went from a timid city-goer to proud Seattleite in the space of a single week (orientation week, to be exact.) Suddenly I could not say enough good about Seattle, thinking about the endless sunrises and sunsets, the smell of rain, the neatness of city blocks and dim, coffee-scented streets on a foggy morning. Becoming a '23 finally confirmed my status as a member of my hometown. Just as I suspect it did for some of my classmates and might for you as well.
I think that's one of the most beautiful benefits of attending college in general and Dartmouth in particular: it offers a new perspective with which to regard our lives. College affirms our place within our communities outside of Hanover.
I suppose it's as they say—absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. And time makes one wiser (which is great, because I need about another century before I feel confident enough to raise my hand in math class!).
When I returned home for winter break, it was as a fonder and wiser community member. More committed to the city—my "hometown," as it had become on countless nametags—and more sensible about my place within it.
I remain open-eyed about the flaws of my home, as many of us do. But this is one of the clearest demonstrations of the "Dartmouth difference:" Dartmouth never teaches its students to look away from problems. Rather, it teaches us to solve them.
Though I have only a single term of experience under my belt, I'm beginning to adopt this mindset. And to regard problems not as obstructions to progress but catalysts for positive change.
Regardless of where we come from, I'm sure most '23s can agree that attending Dartmouth offers a new sense of perspective we tuck into our suitcases or send across telephone wires. Whether it's a new drive to problem solve, the knowledge of strong support in our endeavors, or even the sight of a bright green hat upon our roads, by attending Dartmouth we allow it to shape, in small, positive ways, the world far outside of Hanover.
Because the town and school are small, they are extraordinarily interconnected and, in my experience, people in the community have been super welcoming. One long time Hanover resident even helped me pick out a good winter coat!
When I think of "old" at Dartmouth, I think of the many parts of campus that are rich in history. So this week, I went around to a couple of locations on campus to capture some of the historical parts of campus and their history.
The world in which you are awaiting college decisions is not the same in which I did, nor that in which students a year behind you will. That said, with college decision letters on the horizon, I'd like to give you some of my own advice.
I don't think any place exemplifies the stereotypical college town like Hanover and our dear old Dartmouth. Of the places at Dartmouth that have the best vibes, my vote — without question — goes to The Hop.
When I came to Hanover almost four years ago to start my freshman year, finding every place that serves coffee was of the utmost importance. Here's the rundown on the best places in town for coffee.
It's almost the end of my first winter here in Hanover, but that doesn't mean my friends and I didn't hop on the opportunity to go check out some ice castles an hour and a half north of us.
