I'm Kalina, a '27 from Sofia, Bulgaria. I love books (I love reading and writing them), and I particularly love fantasy (i.e., I'm an expert on Middle Earth and Hogwarts studies). I'm fascinated by the human brain and the real-world magic of science. I also love hiking, bird-watching, climbing, and em dashes.
Instead of taking a normal Writing 5 course, I decided to fulfill my first-year writing requirement by taking HUM 1. This course helped me strengthen my relationship to literature and writing. It changed the way in which I thought about classics, both books and movies (we saw Wall-E, by the way). And it also changed the way I thought about academic writing and literary criticism. A third of the course was made up of lectures by professors from different departments, while the other two thirds were discussions with a single professor and a small group of 15 students.
Intro to Neuroscience was the first course I was truly excited about. It wasn't an easy course; we had a weekly quiz of ten to thirteen questions covering the lectures from the past few days, but it was very interesting and also very funny (Professor Winter's humor is legendary). We learned about the human brain at the level of individual cells. We also studied it at the level of different systems, from the olfactory system to the parasympathetic nervous system. And last, we learned about cognition: learning, attention, language. We saw a real human brain with formaldehyde dripping from it. We saw a real sheep's brain. And a rat's brain. And we pocked each other with paper clips to determine the sensitivity of our touch receptors.
Journalism with Professor Alexis Jetter was an enjoyable class, sometimes challenging but very satisfying. We covered a lot of US history through the lens of the media, and we started every class with a discussion of the current news and events (thanks to these discussions, I feel like a real adult now—not so lost when the conversation turns toward politics). Several guest lecturers—from former students of Professor Jetter who're now journalists to a New York Times war correspondent—brought us real stories from the field. In the middle of the term, each of us had to find someone over 30 years old in the Upper Valley, spend a day with them, and write a profile.
SummerSofia, Bulgaria
I'm spending my first summer back home, helping my family care for my newborn sister. In my free time (changing diapers takes a lot of time!), I'm doing research for the cognitive neuroscience lab FINN Lab, preparing for my classes in the fall, and working on a new book.
An International Student's Experience with Greek Life
I'm an international student from Bulgaria, and I came to Dartmouth—and the United States—very confused by the notion of Greek life. I was convinced that I wouldn't be taking any part in it, and I also wasn't sure how being an international student fit into Greek life. So I spent my first year and my sophomore fall in near blissful ignorance of what people were doing around me, what places they were hanging out in, and which Greek houses they wanted to rush.
My ignorance was challenged last October by my friend Ari, who invited me to an Alpha Theta rush event. Alpha Theta is a gender-inclusive Greek house—in contrast to regular fraternities or sororities—locatedat the north end of campus, near Occom Pond. Dartmouth students aren't allowed to rush until their sophomore fall, so the fall is supposedly very busy for sophomores—a lot of people are rushing.
I, of course, wasn't… or so I thought.
I agreed to go to the Alpha Theta event with Ari because I already knew a lot of active Alpha Thetians—I had a good friend whom I knew from archery practice and playing 'Magic the Gathering;' I had a friend from the DOC's Flora and Fauna club, several other friends of mine whom I knew through mutual friends or because they were, too, international and had mentored me in my first year.
"Sure, it's gonna be a fun crowd," I told Ari and happily followed them to Alpha Theta.
I walked into the house, and I soaked in the atmosphere: golden light streaming from the ceiling, a piano in the corner of the room, colorful posters on the walls, a carpeted stairway right opposite the front door, and many couches and chairs occupied by many friendly faces. I sat next to another close friend of mine, who was also coincidentally rushing with her partner (they're now my next-door neighbors in Alpha Theta), and I let myself enjoy the evening.
This Alpha Theta event felt a lot like the club meetings at the Dartmouth Outing Club(I'm a big fan of the DOC): cool people (cool in my opinion) chat and play games and laugh and share stories… The only difference between a DOC club meeting and the Alpha Theta event was the level of coziness. Club meetings are fun, but never this cozy, never this homey. (Even if they offer handmade cupcakes like our Alpha Theta hosts did.)
Through this event, I appreciated how many friends I already had at Alpha Theta and how many friends I was potentially going to have after they rushed. I also fell in love with the house, and once I received my bid, I promptly requested a room there. Now, I live in Alpha Theta (a blog post about my room will come soon), and I am a proud Alpha Thetian.
Starting college in a new country is a big leap, but with orientation programs, cultural connections, and helpful resources, Dartmouth quickly became more than just a campus—it became home.
My journey home for winter break (winterim) after an entire year of being away from family and friends! The winter break is six weeks from late November to Early January, and students may stay on campus with provided housing and meal plans.
