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, Geography, 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!
Academic Program
QSS major; Religion and French double minor
Favorite Thing Right Now
Beautiful (and free) dinners at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge!
This class served as a great introduction to the Quantitative Social Science department. My favorite part of class was working with real-world data in our problem sets each week. I also adored my professor, Elsa Voytas. It was her first term as a professor here, and she was constantly eager to answer any questions you might have. I'm really looking forward to taking more QSS classes in the future!
I loved this class and especially my professor, Michele Tine. My favorite part of the course was watching the "Up!" documentary series as a class. The episodes began with a cohort of children at age 7, and has continued to follow them throughout their adulthood. We got to analyze the children's decisions and lifestyles in the context of what we were learning about, culminating with a paper highlighting one of the cohort members.
Paris and Literature and Film was the last part of my first-year writing experience. Professor Kane did a great job of bringing a variety of sources into our classroom discussions (books, movies, articles, etc.) which made the course very engaging. Plus, it was so much fun to learn about France before visiting in 25W!
Data Visualization was one of the best classes I've taken at Dartmouth so far. Professor Cooper was very engaging, and I learned that I really LOVE making data meaningful and accessible. I'm even taking Professor Cooper's Advanced Data Visualization in the winter to continue building on my skills.
Having never taken a Geography class before, I had no idea what to expect from Professor Alvarez León's course. By the end of the term, I was obsessed with all of the topics of the course. We spent the majority of the time talking about space versus place, and we constantly had fun group activities in class. Plus, I took the class with my godsister (a '28) which was a dream come true!
Evangelicalism was easily one of my favorite classes so far. Professor Balmer was an extraordinary lecturer, even providing anecdotes from his own PBS series about his book. I came into Dartmouth anxious about all of the reading that would be required for classes, and Evangelicalism quashed that fear of mine. I left the class a more confident and curious student.
Despite a common notion and misconception of Hanover being in the "middle of the woods", food in the Upper Valley can be pretty good. About a week before spring term ended, my friends and I went to the new location of Trailbreak. And, as a self-proclaimed food blogger (click here for JRR #1), I figured that I would give you all a full rundown on the experience.
Quechee, the town that houses Trailbreak, is about a 15 minute drive away from campus. When we arrived, the parking lot was packed. They had just reopened and people were excited to check the restaurant out on a Friday night!
Somehow, I failed to take any photos of the restaurant from the outside but their website has some: https://www.trailbreakvt.com/. Trailbreak is nothing if not eclectic. Decked out in orange, green, blue, and brown accents, it feels nothing like the old-town feel of Hanover. My friends and I kept commenting on how nice it was to get out of the Dartmouth bubble and feel transported to a different place entirely.
Trailbreak specialized in Mexican-inspired foods but with a quirky twist. For instance, instead of chips and salsa, you get popcorn brought to your table! I got a chicken tacky tortilla (quesadilla) which was delicious. An often "basic" food was brought to a whole new level with delicious crema. My friends ordered a smattering of tacos, complete with a side of fried plantains. Definitely get the fried plantains if you visit. You will not be disappointed. We finished off our meal with some delicious churros. We left very happy and very full.
I think the part of my visit to Trailbreak that stands out the most was just how easy it was to get out of the common college town vibe. Quechee is just far enough away from campus that it is rare to come across friends, professors, and townspeople you see often. Sometimes you just need a moment away from the buzz of campus. Trailbreak offered just that.
In celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM), a variety of programming was offered to celebrate AAPI students and culture on campus. Read on to hear about my experience serving on the committee and attending events!
Despite Dartmouth being on the periphery of the broader Northeast region, its access to major transportation hubs makes travel stress-free. But, how can students without a car see the rest of New England?
