Hi! My name is Jack and I am a Sophomore at Dartmouth. I currently plan to major in sociology modified with anthropology, all with a human-centered design minor. Outside of class, I enjoy performing and I'm currently involved in both a student dance group and acapella. I love hiking and running outdoors and have already explored a lot of Dartmouth's surrounding trails. I am also involved in Greek Life, the Student and Presidential Committee for Sexual Assault, and the Inter Fraternity Council.
This class was an overview on demographic trends across the world, and it's the course that got me interested in my current academic focus! I enjoyed the fact that this class was discussion based, so I was able to engage in conversations about different social factors and relationships that affect population changes in global societies.
I never thought I'd enjoy doing theater online but this class fully exceeded all expectations I had in mind. I was able to learn new techniques and was forced to think about aspects of performance that I never had to worry about when on stage. The technological stage was definitely an interesting hurdle, but it strengthened my abilities as a performer overall.
Beside it being my first in-person class at Dartmouth, I have enjoyed the case-based structure of this course. Professor Roebuck delivers the content in small units of environmental health problems, which are all applicable to specific cases and situations. This makes the material extremely interesting and thought-provoking, leading to an incredible class.
SummerNew York, NY
I spent my summer interning for a theater education company that offered technical skill sessions to teenagers, all taught by industry professionals. I learned a lot more about the ins and outs of the theater industry, due to the immersive setting of the position.
I originally took this class to fulfill my lab distributive requirement, but it ended up proving to be a super interesting course! I have always been fascinated by storms and weather, so learning the processes behind these phenomena and patterns was deeply interesting for me. While I am not planning on studying Earth sciences any further, this specific course was memorable for all the good reasons!
This class was a constant reminder of my love for sociology. Professor Kim was a genuine, kind, excellent professor and lecturer, and all of the material was deeply interesting. Some past classes that are reading-heavy have fallen short in finding invigorating readings that I was actively excited to explore, and I enjoyed every single article and discussion for this course. Exploring contemporary theorists' works, this class was a 10/10.
It's Okay to Slow Down: Reflections on my Summer Break
Hello all! It's been a while since I've last written a post, and while my summer was an incredibly refreshing and relaxing break, it brings me deep joy to say that I'm writing this from a comfy couch in The Cube, which has quickly become a new favorite spot of mine on campus. It's one of our house centers, and is a special study/hangout space for members of Allen and School House communities. I can explain more in the future :)
I thought I'd spend some time this week reflecting on the experiences that I had this past summer. After a really interesting and unusual freshman year, I did my best to use this break as a chance to actually rest. There were a few weeks that I spent working in New York City; I had an internship working in theater education that was both intense and enjoyable. However, this was only a fraction of my break, and while I thought it would be the most fulfilling piece of my summer, it was significantly outweighed by the rest. For most of my break, I went home, spent a lot of time with friends and family, and reconnected with my hometown in ways that weren't possible before college. I missed Dartmouth at times, but it honestly felt incredible to slow down and truly take a break to enjoy some warm weather and learn to appreciate central Virginia lifestyles much more than I had before.
View of a beautiful Central VA sunrise along the Blue Ridge Parkway!
I found that going through life at a more leisurely pace led to immense feelings of gratitude that I have never experienced before. I would drive around and start smiling, simply because the weather was nice. I'd text friends and audibly laugh from their responses. I think one of the unfortunate aspects of the rigorous, fast paced, lifestyle at Dartmouth is that we move so fast that we lose sight of many important aspects of life. So much focus on social pressures, academic goals, and career opportunities leads to less time spent thinking about how lucky we all are to experience life in such a fulfilling way. I am so glad I was able to take time this summer to discover these positive feelings, and they've helped me enter my sophomore year in a much more healthy and happy mindset.
I'm excited to see what this year has in store, and I can't wait to bring you guys along with me for the journey!
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
