Greetings from the woods! My name is Gavin Fry, and I'm a student blogger with the People, Places, and Pines team. I'm a proud first-generation college student, carrying with me the full support of my crazy family. I plan to be involved with undergraduate research, outdoor activities, and club golf here at Dartmouth! You can find me geeking out about the weather, reading novels, and always drinking coffee (at any time of the day). So nice to meet you!
Academic Program
Prospective Environmental Earth Science Major with a Minor in Public Policy
Favorite Thing Right Now
My idea of starting a chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) here at Dartmouth!
Oh. My. Goodness. What a fun class this was! As a certified weather and climate geek, I was totally entrenched in everything we done in this course. From the labs and weather presentations to the "flipped" classroom experience, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Dr. Osterberg's excitement for the course material made it that much more enjoyable! It was truly an extraordinary first-year course to take.
I’ve loved this class from beginning to end. For one, I enjoyed it because of the people in it, but I also loved it because of the content. Through frequent class discussion, I learned about the health of our democracy and the ways it is compromised. Very enlightening class!
Religion 5 was a quintessential liberal arts course that deepened my knowledge in a subject I thought I had all figured out. As a STEM-oriented student, this class offered the perfect balance to my spring term schedule. As a result of this class, I became more introspective of how I was raised, and I'm more grateful in my ability to be a free-thinker.
SummerOff Campus Internship - Princeton, New Jersey
This summer, I explored my future career plans by participating in a research internship with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University. I learned a lot about what I want (and what I don't want) in a future career, and I made so many awesome lifelong connections!
A course rooted in both philosophical theory and real, practical methods of becoming a better public speaker was the highlight of the term. Our class of 16 students grew to be a sort of "mini-family," and I'm so grateful for the connections I made. I completely changed the way I view public speaking and homed in on my own skills as a public speaker!
Once again, a course outside my major found its way into my favorite class list. This sociology course helped me better understand how children are viewed in society, the way sociologists study youth, and the major differences in norms around childhood around the world. Who knew there was so much to learn about youth culture!
You may have noticed it in the preface of this blog, but "magical" is the one word I would use to describe each location I've ventured to on this campus. Of course, Dartmouth has an unparalleled physical beauty, but there is a compounding element that truly makes a place stick out to me. A space's ability to make you feel welcome, to make you more productive, to comfort you on dreary days, or to motivate you on nights with no fuel is where a unique space truly shines through. Here, so many places fill so many different niches in my life that I must share with you. I've realized I've grown attached to them and they comfort me in ways that I didn't know a physical place could.
Baker-Berry Tower Room - Of course, we have to start with the most obvious. Baker-Berry Library is the quintessential image of Dartmouth's campus (pictured above). Specifically, the tower room on the third floor reminds me of the history of this place. When I find myself there, I'm reinforced with the same passion that I left home with… the desire to chase my most ambitious goals.
Wilder Hall - From the most obvious to perhaps the most overlooked is Wilder Hall. Wilder is the home of the Physics and Astronomy department, and I walk through it on my way to work each day. I'm reminded of not only the physical beauty of this campus and its history, but I'm reminded that incredible STEM research, in addition to the humanities, is conducted here. It humbles me.
Fairchild 101 - This one hits really close to home for me. Fairchild hall, in particular Fairchild room 101, is where I had my Dartmouth meteorology class (EARS 14)… the most awesome class there is. I feel sad reminiscing because it's over, but there are many memories in this room. Memories that I can't really convey but will always be with me. A special place indeed.
Moosilauke Ravine Lodge - Okay, okay, the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge technically isn't on campus, but how could I not include this mystical place! This is where one part of my first-year trip experience was held, and it was an absolute blast. It reminds me of how in-tune Dartmouth is with nature, which is one of the most distinguishing features that led me to come to Darty!
East Reading Room - This area is the quintessential "I'm not motivated at all right now, so I need to go to this place" place. It never fails, each time I lack motivation, I go to the East Reading Room. It's quiet. It's modern and contemporary. And it's filled with natural light. It creates a good contrast to some of the more historic feels across campus, and I love it!
Collis Common Ground - Sometimes you need a study spot, but you're not really in the mood to have "pin-drop hearing silence." That's when you make your way over to Collis Common Ground. The fireplace, comfortable furniture, ambient lighting, and, occasionally, musical performances all add to the unique feeling of studying on Dartmouth's campus.
Shattuck Observatory - I do have to say I've supported a cliché here… I've saved my favorite for last. What I mentioned about a place's ability to change your mood at the beginning of this blog is huge for me. I love these other places I've shown you thus far, but the Shattuck Observatory can turn one of my worst days right around just like that. This is where I conduct my weather observations, and, as we've established, I'm a weather and climate geek! Shattuck allows me to get away from the hustle and bustle of normal campus life (it's a little ways off campus) and gives me time to introspect. After I finish my observations, it's usually right at the moment of sunset where I almost always catch a glimpse of the gorgeous Upper Valley sunset. Such a beautiful place that will always be #1 on my list.
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!
