Hi everyone! I'm Julia from Seattle, WA. Reading this blog during my junior and senior years of high school helped me to envision myself on this campus, so this all feels very full-circle. I'm studying QSS, Education, French, and Religion (I know, it's a lot at the moment!). I love cooking/food, watching old Modern Family episodes (my favorite character is Mitch), and finding cozy places to study on campus. Talk to you soon!
Before coming to Dartmouth, I had no real sense of how students interacted with professors here. I had heard that students and professors tend to be close because of our undergraduate focus, but I had no idea what that looked like in practice. TL;DR, I definitely understand what's so special about these relationships now.
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Rauner Special Collections Library with my Religion 1 class. Our midterm project involved choosing an artifact from the library and explaining why it matters using our own definitions of mattering. We got to select among objects including a version of the First Folio(!!!!), a copy of "On the Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin, and a book with a lock of George Washington's hair encased in it(?!). I chose to focus my paper on a splinter of wood from the Yale goalpost after we destroyed it during our first win against them in 1936 (I do NOT condone destruction of property FYI). It was so much fun to be at Rauner with my classmates who were also geeking out over the incredible pieces we got to touch and examine. It's easy to forget that all of us were/are (to some extent) pretty nerdy people. It's one of the best parts of being at a school like Dartmouth.
LITERALLY THE FIRST FOLIO. WHAT IS LIFE?!?!?!
During our tour, the guide recommended that we drop by the library again to check out the artifacts another time. I felt pretty confident that I wanted to work with the piece of wood, but I decided to go back because, honestly, I just wanted to see some of those awesome pieces again. I ventured back over to the library on Saturday morning. When I got there, I asked the front desk attendant where the Religion 1 cart was. The attendant gave me a bit of a funny look before gesturing over to a group of people crowded around a table filled with objects. To my surprise, I looked over to find my professor waving at me. He was there with his family, all looking at the artifacts pulled for our class. We chatted for a couple minutes before I scurried over to the library to get started on my paper.
I know that I've already written about how much I love being here. However, I think this moment took my adoration to a new level. I came to this school to interact with professors who know my name and are excited to say hi to me on the weekends. These are scholars at the top of their fields that care about me as both a student and an individual. Yes, I love spending time with my friends. I feel so fortunate to have found people who make me feel worthy and special every day. And, I am so lucky to go to a school where I am filled with "pinch me" moments about academics, too. I've said it once and I'll say it again: Dartmouth is the best of both worlds.
One of my greatest privileges at Dartmouth has been learning from Professor Ed. Miller of the History and Asian Studies departments. Read on to learn more about why he is my favorite professor!
