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!
Woohoo! We've made it to Spring term! I'm so excited to see what journeys I will embark on in these next nine weeks. If fall and winter terms were any indication, I'm about to be tested once again. Nope, I'm not talking about being tested academically (although I will have exams), I'm talking about the intangible tests of maturity, intellectual growth, independence, and the like. I'm slowly beginning to realize Dartmouth has tested my character over the past few months through the decisions I find myself making. Now, of course these "tests" aren't "graded" by anyone else except myself. In fact, no one else even realizes the tests you are undergoing at any point in time except for yourself. You must be thinking, "Gav, what on Earth are you talking about? Tests? Wha--?" I know, let me dive into it.
I must admit when I first came to Dartmouth back in the summer of '21 for the FYSEP program, I prioritized things I shouldn't have. For instance, I would try to dress differently to fill my role in maintaining the, what I liked to call, the "Dartmouth Vibe." I would try to talk a bit differently (I have a bit of a southern accent), and behave in such a way to attract others to hang around me. While the last one doesn't sound bad, I lost who I was as a person, my values and morals, my upbringing, and my likes and dislikes. I was losing my identity. Now, I think I've reclaimed my identity over time. I think I now accentuate my southern accent and dress how I would back at home… like Gavin! I'm grateful for this. I was eventually able to pass this test that Dartmouth threw at me. I also realized the true "Dartmouth Vibe" IS being yourself, the genuine you!
That is just one of them. Winter term brought a new set of challenges that were distinct from anything I had ever gone through. Although these are some very personal matters, I want to share them with you in order to portray my growth at this institution. I won't go into full detail. To make a long story short, I found myself prioritizing people and their needs above my own. I would go out of my way to make their lives comfortable while sacrificing my own time, my wants and desires, and, at the end of the day, my dignity. Let me tell you something: No one is worth more than your mental health. Once I realized that the complex and mentally exhausting situations I had found myself in winter term were going to translate to spring term had I let them, I stopped this from happening. I separated myself from these individuals and prioritized my mental health. Of course, it's hard in the moment, but I know I will thank myself in the long run.
These are just two personal examples of the "tests" I've been through here at Dartmouth so far. Let me express something to you: You WILL go through hard times in college. You will struggle at times. You will go through situations that make you think, "What the heck, am I in a movie right now? Who's got the video camera? Show yourself!" It is a cinematic experience you guys. I think this is especially true here at Dartmouth. I mean, there is so much going on around you that it's easy to get caught up in the moment. You may start to feel like life is living you instead of the other way around. I like to use the saying, "You can't let the tail wag the dog," and that's a part of the test.
Let me be clear, I think Dartmouth is the absolute best place to go through these tests and grow as a person. There are wonderful people here. From your peers to the faculty & staff to the Dartmouth Dining Services workers and beyond, everyone is supportive. On top of that, the Upper Valley is gorgeous. You can take yourself back from it all merely by appreciating the land around you. You will go through growth here, and it's ANYthing but easy. You're supposed to. It's called becoming an adult! YIKES!
The figure in the main photo of this blog post is a scene named "The Quest." It was a gift from my family, and I look at it anytime I lack motivation. It reminds me of why I'm here. It gets me through all of the tests.
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!
Traditionally, Dartmouth students take three courses during a term, but I decided to take four courses this term! Learn about course load and the academic system at Dartmouth.
