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.
Looking back at my housing selection process, I realized there is very little information available about the LLCs. I wrote this blog post to tell you five reasons why I love the Humanities LLC.
As a southerner, my biggest concern about Dartmouth was how I was going to cope with the cold. Luckily, I have a lot of friends that are also excited to embrace the snow with me, so I wanted to share how we've been enjoying winter term so far!
Being in West House means Tuk-Tuk dinners and fun house events almost every week, but this month it also means having the opportunity to join West House's Intramural (IM) basketball team.
I've taken to sitting and watching, treating myself to the slowness of green tea and silence of an uninterrupted morning. But that's one of the best things about college—it offers ample moments for reflection.
Coming to Dartmouth, I already had a plan of the types of communities I wanted to get involved with. One thing I didn't expect was meeting some of my favorite people at the Tucker Center for Spiritual Life.
Come the 3-day weekend, the eight of us rented two cars and drove off from Hanover in the morning. Our destination? Concord, the capital city of New Hampshire.
Collis gets two million visitors a year – why wouldn't you be one of them? Come join the fun and read on to learn how to make the best use of Collis as a socializing space!
The idea of Dartmouth's unlimited snow used to be intimidating, but the past two weeks have been full of peaceful coexistence between students and seasons like no other. Winter's here and we love it.
As cliché as it sounds, students walking in small hat-topped flocks, laughing through brisk air, is a sport we take seriously around here. And it's one of the best ways to stay warm.
