Hi everyone! I'm Kabir, an international member of the class of '26, from New Delhi, India. I'm thinking of majoring in Psychology and Film & Media Studies. Outside the classroom, I enjoy watching movies, going on hikes, hanging out with my friends, and going on runs (if you see me on the streets of Hanover, say hi!) In the short while I've been here, I've come to love Dartmouth, so if you're interested in what I have to say, stick around! This should (hopefully) be fun :)
My Writing 5 class was definitely my favorite class this term — it opened my eyes to the realities of the food industry, strengthened my skills as a writer, and helped me make a ton of new friends.
My seminar was possibly the best class I've taken so far at Dartmouth. I learned about the importance of free speech and journalists in a democratic society, and how those rights to freedom are being stripped everywhere, all the time.
I've loved Cognitive Psychology as a class so far, especially because of the cool demos that the professor uses to illustrate every type of phenomena we learn about. From illusions to memory tests, it's so cool to see how the human psyche can be tricked so very easily.
One of the most frequently asked questions that new students at Dartmouth have is about the gym, and I totally get why. The gym/workout culture is such an important component of some people's lives, and they like to have clarity before going to college. That's why I've decided to give you a rundown of everything related to the Alumni Gymnasium, specifically the Zimmerman Fitness Center.
The gym is located on East Wheelock Street, about five minutes away from the Green, which makes it closer to dormitories like Topliff, New Hampshire, Morton, Andres, and Zimmerman. If you're living in the river dorms—which are French and Judge—or the Choates dorm cluster, it is a further walk. The gym building itself is pretty big—there's an indoor running track, basketball courts, team offices, and the actual gymnasium—but for this post, I'll be primarily focusing on the gymnasium, which is called the Zimmerman Fitness Center.
Zimmerman is a two-storied gym with a diverse array of workout machines—so there's something for everyone! When you enter the gym (which you need a Dartmouth ID to swipe in with), you're greeted by the cardio section—an array of about 10 bikes, 30 treadmills, and 5 ellipticals. Usually, there's space for everyone, but at really busy times (especially during the evening), good luck finding any free machines!
At either side of the cardio section are weight-lifting areas, lined with about six cable machines with pretty much every attachment you could think of. Behind all this are more machines: here is where you'll find the traditional machines for legs, biceps, abs, triceps, and more. There's also a separate section for deadlifting and for mat exercises.
The second floor is a smaller, more concise version of the first floor. There are a few treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals. There are a lot of machines for leg workouts and a compact weight-lifting section. The main "pro" of the second floor is the killer view you get if you happen to get a spot on the treadmill upstairs. Looking right beyond Dartmouth's campus, you're treated with a view of the mountains which is awesome.
Now that you have a basic overview of Dartmouth's gym, let me tell you that the gym culture is super relaxed here. I've had a lot of friends who were skeptical about working out because of the naturally judgemental nature of the gym. Each of them, however, has been pleasantly surprised by how nonchalant the vibes at Alumni are!
If you have any more questions about the gym, I can answer them in another blog post. Let me know!
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!
