Hey there! My name is Joanna Jou, a '26 from El Paso, TX. I love Hanover sunsets, relaxing out on The Green, and Still North Matcha w/ honey + almond milk. I'm beyond stoked to have y'all follow along as I create my own version of Dartmouth!
Academic Program
History and Asian Studies, International Studies Minor
A discussion-based class co-taught by two notable professors in the Russian and German translation/scholar community. We read a series of poems and short stories written by poets who lived under totalitarian regimes (specifically in Germany and the Soviet Union) while examining the role poetry played in communicating trauma and the living of life.
Coming in with no economics background, ECON 1 is an introductory class that explores how individuals and firms make independent choices, how it is reflected in the market place while analyzing it through consumer and producer perspectives, and exploring the theories involved in resource allocation and output determination. Taught by the amazing Dr. Ha Yan Lee, her dedication to the class and her students made me excited to come to her lectures, office hours, and to continue taking classes in the economics department.
As a freshman, we are required to complete a seminar course as part of our first-year writing sequence. With a variety of departments to choose from, I elected a course on the Green New Deal with the history department since I wanted to explore the department a little more. As a discussion-based class, the way Professor Link structured his course and how he led discussions undoubtedly became the highlight of my spring term; not only did I learn some history and improved my writing along the way, but it also encouraged me to pursue the history major (and more classes with him).
SummerEl Paso, TX
Back home for the summer in Texas as I spend time with my family, focus on my mental and physical well-being, and start a new role with the Admissions Office as an Admissions Communications Intern!
Initially taking this course to fulfill my distributive requirement, I ended up really enjoying ANTH 50.49. Although I am a self-proclaimed museum enthusiast, I didn't think to inquire about the development or evolution of museums, which is why I thought this course would also be interesting to take. Nevertheless, Professor Meredith Ferguson '08 did a lovely job in shedding light on various angles in the museum world such as its natural history, curating/conserving, "heritage", repatriation and restitution, and public trust. In addition, we wrapped up the course by finally thinking about the future of museums, and their representation in society today.
I initially took this course purely out of interest as I didn't have any prior experience with the government department. Nevertheless, Politics of the World is the reason why I've decided to pursue a government minor. Taught through a comparative lens, I quickly realized that much of my academics interests lie at the intersection between comparative politics and international relations; thus, this course served as an intellectually stimulating and enriching experience, which made it a highlight of my winter term.
I was immediately drawn to this course just by the title. To put it simply—wow, just wow. Through studying two centuries of wars, reforms, and revolutions, I've gained a deep understanding of Chinese nationalism, not just as part of national history, but also how it was carried overseas by an array of influential characters. Professor Yi Lu is one of the kindest, most genuine, accommodating, and thought-provoking professors I've had a pleasure to know and learn from at Dartmouth!
SummerThe Baltic countries: Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia
Studied abroad in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia with the government department! As post-Soviet countries, the Baltic states have become democratic success stories after major political and social transformations. This government seminar—taught by the program director—featured a variety of guest lecturers and excursions exploring the concept of democracy, its pathway and development in the Baltics, and the region's future given its geopolitical significance at the forefront of potential global conflict.
As I prepared to go to Vietnam as part of the ASCL Developing Vietnam Fall+ study abroad program, I decided to concurrently enroll in the Vietnam War history course, which was also taught by my abroad program director, Professor Edward Miller. While the Vietnam War was undeniably a major domestic and global event, this class examined the war in the context of Vietnamese history, dating back to the origins of the war in Indochina’s colonial era. As a discussion-based class, I really enjoyed the various primary sources curated, which featured Vietnamese sources and perspectives at the center of analysis. Additionally, Professor Miller is one of the most brilliant and kind individuals I’ve had the privilege to study under!
After completing my study abroad in Vietnam, I was drawn to take this class taught by Professor Sara Swenson, a scholar in Buddhist charity practices and networks in Vietnam. “Religions of Vietnam” was approached through an ethnographic lens, examining how religious traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Cao Dai, and spirit religions are practiced and embraced across Vietnamese communities in both a localized or diasporic level—and how these traditions/practices shape identity and power beyond the country’s socialist context. Professor Swenson is simply brilliant, and I am glad I had the opportunity to learn from her; her teaching has been profoundly impactful in shaping my global understandings of Vietnam and the complex intersection between religion, socio-political structures, and national identity.
SpringEl Paso, TX
Spent my off term interning remotely for the Better World Campaign (BWC), a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization based in Washington DC, that advocates for stronger relations between the United States and the United Nations. This internship was funded by the Dickey Center for International Understanding; and I'm very honored to have had the opportunity to learn about peacekeeping initiatives, legislative and social outreach, and witness all the more impactful work done by the BWC and the United Nations Foundation.
SummerArlington, VA
Interning at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training—an independent, non-profit organization that houses the world’s largest diplomatic oral history collection—based at the Foreign Service Institute. Given my experience working with oral history at the Dartmouth Digital History Initiative with Professor E. Miller, I was excited to be continuing my work with digital humanities outside of Hanover.
Digital Humanities in the Classroom: The Dartmouth Vietnam Project
During my junior winter, I enrolled in HIST 10.03 Dartmouth Vietnam Project (DVP), a course launched in 2020 and co-designed by Professor Edward Miller and Dr. Brian Winston; this time around, HIST 10.03 was co-taught by Professors Miller and Mara Gregory, who is a research associate in the history department and project manager for the Dartmouth Digital History Initiative (DDHI), an oral history and digital humanities project I have been involved in since my sophomore fall. The DVP, both a course and ongoing project, is a branch of the DDHI that conducts, records, and preserves oral history from members of Dartmouth—including students, alumni, parents, and families—and the Upper Valley communities during the Vietnam War era. The purpose of this collection is to preserve memories and collections of experiences that span from childhood memories, military service, anti-war activism, campus climate, memories of war, views/understandings on the Vietnam War, and everything in between, to foster a better understanding of Dartmouth and the nation's public and historical memory.
The HIST 10.03 Canvas page
As a small course capped at 12 students, the class operated in two parts. The first half centered on discussing the history, evolution, and theory of oral history, the ethics and responsibilities of oral history interviewers, and the usage and application of these interviews conducted. The second half focused on training us—students—on how to conduct an oral history interview and various strategies/techniques to equip us with the best practices in the field. Our final project was based on building a digital exhibit on the Omeka S platform that interpreted the oral history interview we conducted in the context of lived experiences and memories during the Vietnam War and era, situating our narrator's stories with a broader theme and contextualized with other relevant primary and secondary sources.
I was really excited to take HIST 10.03 because this was the final course taught by Professor Miller—offered during my time at Dartmouth—I had yet to take, so now I can proudly say that I have "maxed" out on his course offerings. Additionally, as a research fellow with the Dartmouth Digital History Initiative, I spent a lot of time reading, listening, and indexing oral history interviews conducted by the DVP, so I was looking forward to stepping into the interviewer role myself. During my sophomore winter and spring, the DDHI worked on a short-term project for the Class of 1964's 60th reunion that summer. Because the Class of '64 are great supporters of the DVP and DDHI—even adopting Professor Miller into their class (no, he wasn't even born yet)—and have a collection of interviews with the DVP, we worked on producing three exhibits that featured 19 Class of '64 narrators and their experiences during the Vietnam War era, namely campus life in the early '60s, ROTC, service in Vietnam, and perceptions of the war—all including interactive elements placed alongside contextualized information and digitized primary sources from the Rauner Special Collections Library, which houses the extensive Dartmouth College archives.
With this in mind, Professors Miller and Gregory had emphasized that the pairing of interviewers with our narrators (the interviewees) was not randomized, but rather intentional. Thus, when our narrators were announced, I had a feeling I would be paired with someone from the Class of '64, which I was right about! I was paired with Allan Campbell '64, a former naval junior officer who served aboard the USS Essex in anti-submarine warfare during the Vietnam War era. We, as interviewers, are trained to arrange initial contact with our narrators and arrange a pre-interview meeting to get to know our narrators a bit before conducting the official interview. Allan and his wife graciously drove up to Hanover, where we were able to conduct our interview in person at the history hub in Carson, where the history department is located. Our conversation was a little over 3 hours long and filled with such insight and reflection, which I am filled with appreciation for being able to experience firsthand. While Allan did not serve in Vietnam directly, his stories offered unique memories and experiences about undergraduate campus life, Officer Candidate School (OCS), perspectives on the war, and reflections fifty years later; inspired by our conversation, I ultimately decided to curate my digital exhibit focused on junior lieutenants and OCS, and the narratives told by other Dartmouth alumni who attended OCS that served during the war.
A peek into my digital exhibit!
The Dartmouth Vietnam Project course has been invaluable to seeing digital humanities in action; not only from the perspective of how we, as students, use it, but also how it is taught—knowing that I have contributed to this history as a trained oral history interviewer makes this experience even more rewarding and worthwhile. As technology is constantly reshaping our world, I love that the collection and preservation of oral history is also evolving, innovating, and adapting with it—maximizing our archives for generations to follow.
Before my internship in Italy, I spent two terms studying in Rome. How did those experiences help prepare me for my current position? Well, let me explain!
As I begin my junior year, I feel my time at Dartmouth shifting from exploration to deeper focus, with my studies, experiences, and passions beginning to take clear shape.
As a senior now, I've experienced and learned more about myself and about life than I ever anticipated I could. With that, I want to reflect on Dartmouth's unique qualities, from its rural setting to the Greek Life presence to the quarter system!
One of the most unique traditions at Dartmouth is sophomore summer, where students stay on campus to take classes the summer before their junior year. My sophomore summer has been an incredibly special experience!
Senior Fall brings an eventful and diverse courseload, taking up almost all of my time! Find out what I am involved with this term and the incredible variety of classes that Dartmouth has to offer!
