Hello 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!
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 prepare to enter my second term at Dartmouth, let me introduce the classes I elected to take for the winter. I'm very stoked for winter term not only because this will be the first time I experience a proper New England winter, but this is also a chance to explore and engage in new topics beyond the restrictions I set for myself during my first term. P.S - click here to read my friend Garrett's blog post about the course election process and what his 2023 winter classes will look like.
ECON 1 The Price System: Dartmouth's most popular major is economics. Thus, with ECON 1 being a prerequisite for the major, it is a highly popular course that most students take as an introduction to economics and what it entails. I originally was not planning on taking any economics course my first year; however, as I read about how economics proposes a unique way in examining and understanding social problems through a variety of factors that can be seen through microeconomics or macroeconomics, I decided to elect it as one of my three courses for the winter - I mean, why not? (Fun fact: Economics is considered STEM at Dartmouth!)
SOCY 2 Social Problems: I've always found sociology to be an interesting study as I'm passionate in specifically understanding the idea of inequalities and how they affect societal interactions beyond the scopes of interpersonal interactions and conflicts. "Social Problems" is an intro course into the sociology department and examines underlying causes of broad issues such as political corruption, racism, crime, and social inequality. I'm very excited to take this course as it gives me an idea on if I would like to take more sociology courses in the future, and if this is a major I would like to formally declare my sophomore year.
WRIT 5 Expository Writing (Interaction Ritual: the Novel and Sociology): First-years are required to take a writing and seminar course; these are small classes limited to 16 students per section in order to allow for individualized attention. During the summer, we are given a writing placement that would serve as a recommendation for which type of writing class we should take for our writing requirement. Specifically for the WRIT 5 placement, students are randomly scheduled to take this course either their fall or winter term, and then take a seminar class the following term. The first-year seminar is an extension to the writing course as it stresses the importance of written expression, research, and discussion. I am scheduled to take WRIT 5 in the winter and I (thankfully) got my first choice writing course: "Interaction Ritual: the Novel and Sociology." Some examples of other WRIT 5 classes include "Einstein's Universe," "Constitutional Rights," "Gender and the Holocaust," and "Food For Thought," and examples of seminar classes include "Life on Mars?," "Reading Jane Austen," "Women and Comedy in Film," and "Who is the Terrorist?" Overall, the writing department does a great job in offering a myriad of courses in WRIT 5 and seminars across most disciplines, which I think is a great way in engaging students in the topic of writing and discussion.
Stay tuned for an update during my winter term on how my classes are going!
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!
Unlike some other universities, many of the STEM lecture classes at Dartmouth require concurrent enrollment in a laboratory section. What is it like navigating that time as a student?
