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.
At 3:00 a.m., I hopped on the Dartmouth Coach to go to Boston. The Coach (for short) is a bus transportation service that serves not only Hanover and the Upper Valley, but also connects to Boston and New York City; this makes it more convenient for students to leave the Hanover bubble and into the cities as the Coach also operates daily at various times. Since it was the day after finals period ended, my bus to Boston Logan Airport was packed with students also leaving back home. For the students not flying but taking public transport in Boston, the Coach has a stop at Boston South Station where many students use the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) system and Regional Transit Authorities for local and in-state commute; additionally, the Amtrak, subway, taxi, and other bus services are also used to travel to and from Dartmouth if students live in nearby states such as Connecticut, Rhode Island, or New Jersey.
Since there are no non-stop/straight flights from Boston to El Paso and vice versa, I have at least one stop whether it is in Dallas, Austin, Houston, Chicago, Denver, or Atlanta—all depending on the airline. Specifically for my flight home for winterim (what Dartmouth calls winter break), I had a layover at Denver International Airport in order to connect to El Paso International Airport. On this flight, the passenger who sat next to me asked if I attended Dartmouth as I was wearing my Dartmouth zip-up hoodie. After I responded that I currently attend Dartmouth, he asked if I was a skier for the College; I responded that I unfortunately don't know how to ski (yet), but I was curious to why he assumed I was. He told me that he is a skier himself and knows of Dartmouth's ski team being well known inside the ski community, so he assumed I came to Denver for training. After my conversation with this passenger, I learned this fun fact: 12 Dartmouth students from both undergrads and alums were nominated to the 2022-2023 US Ski Team—pretty cool stuff! After a flight of around five hours, the first thing I thought of was looking for something to eat as I also had an hour and thirty minutes before my next flight. Luckily, as soon as I walked out of the arrival gate, I spotted a Jamba Juice that sold smoothie bowls. At Dartmouth, I've developed an irresistible addiction to the acai bowls sold at Collis and The Fern, which are two on-campus cafes; you can say this is where my most of my DBA (dining dollars) goes towards, so I obviously splurged for an acai bowl to fuel my cravings, which indeed did not disappoint—thanks Jamba Juice!
My last flight from Denver to El Paso was about an hour and a half long. After I landed and went to go wait for my checked bag, one of the passengers who stood next to me at the baggage claim asked if I was also on his flight from Boston to Denver. I was surprised he remembered me from the Boston flight because it was a packed plane; however, he said that he recognized me because of my zip-up hoodie and that it's not often someone flies from Boston to El Paso so he thought it was interesting how I also happened to be on his second flight.
Despite my trip back home being quite long, I've enjoyed meeting the people and the conversations from my flights. As I write this blog post in my childhood bedroom, I'm very grateful to spend time back with my family and eat some delicious home cooked meals before heading back to Hanover for a very exciting winter!
