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 am now back on campus for my sophomore spring, here is a (slightly overdue) recap of how the classes I took this past winter!
HIST 52: Modern Germany 1851-Today: During my sophomore fall, I attended a public discussion for my history class Intro to the Modern Middle East and North Africa; my professor encouraged us to attend as she was co-leading a discussion on Israel and Palestine with her colleague Professor Greenberg. After listening to this discussion, I looked into whether Professor Greenberg was teaching the next term as I was hoping to take a class with him sometime this year. Luckily, I learned that he was teaching a class called Modern Germany 1851-Today, so I decided to enroll. From the Kingdom of Prussia to today's Federal Republic of Germany, I found Professor Greenberg to be one of the best lecturers at Dartmouth, and even took him to Pine Restaurant through the Take Your Professor to Lunch Program!
GOVT 4: Politics of the World: I was initially nervous about taking a government class at Dartmouth because I didn't have any previous background in it; additionally, government is one of the most popular departments, so I thought I didn't want to take what everyone else was taking. Nonetheless, Professor Zhou was awesome!! She made the class feel very cozy and comfortable, and is the reason why I've decided to pursue a government minor—in addition, I'm also going to be abroad this summer in the Baltics for a Foreign Study Program (FSP) through the government department, and I can't wait to share more in the forthcoming months!
CS 1: Intro to Programming and Computation: I took CS 1 in order to fulfill the "Technology or Applied Sciences" and lab distributive requirements, which are part of the liberal arts curriculum in order for students to explore subjects not studied in high school and delve into what is unfamiliar to us. Thus, I decided to take Intro to Programming and Computation with the famous Professor Vasanta. Given the evolving modern world that positions technology in the forefront of contemporary advancement, I thought it would also be benficial to learn a bit of Python. Although this course is demanding, Professor Vasanta is an amazing lecturer and makes herself available for office hours even on weekends; additionally, there are dozens of teaching assistants available for CS 1—daily, I may add, and they also offer group hours or 1-1 time.
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?
