I'm Kennedy, a literature nerd and creative writer from the outskirts of Memphis. I'm also a senior here at Dartmouth. When I'm not working in admissions as a senior fellow, I'm a student employee at the library and a research and teaching assistant in the English department. I love music (I collect vinyl!) and analyzing teen drama TV (think Riverdale and Pretty Little Liars). I'm currently applying to law schools. I've had such a great time at Dartmouth and am excited to share that with you!
Professor McCann is my advisor, but that's not the only reason I took this class. Since it was a senior seminar with only 9 students, we got to dive deep into the fascinating material, including with Victorian-era pulp fiction books, advertisements, and psychological treatises, plus some good old fashioned canonical works like The Picture of Dorian Gray and Dracula. [Fun fact: I've read Dracula three times at Dartmouth... it's an English department favorite!]
WinterHanover, NH
This was an off term for me, but I love Hanover so much I hung around anyways! I worked for admissions and Baker-Berry Library, read a ton of J.G. Ballard, and stared out the window at the snow for an embarrassingly long amount of time. I also visited my parents in Tennessee during Christmas.
Professor Nachlis went out of his way to act as an unofficial pre-law advisor for all of us in this class, not only by introducing us to some of the most pressing issues in American government, but also by dedicating the final two weeks of class to a module called "Should you go to law school?" A question I was asking myself!
SummerHanover, NH
Another off term again, and this time I'm working full-time for admissions as a senior fellow! I'm also doing a lot of preliminary reading for my honors thesis. Anyone heard of Friedrich Kittler's Discourse Networks? Well, I'll have read it twice by the time this term is over.
Con Law with Professor Bedi was one of my favorite classes at Dartmouth. Our in-depth examination of the Constitution and landmark case law built up a "science of the Constitution" (in Prof Bedi's words). Our class of 9 students rarely agreed on anything, which was what made it so fun!
My final paper for this class was an analysis of a civil rights leader's memoir that I actually worked on back during my internship at the University Press of Mississippi! I learned so much in this class, and it was gratifying to return, now with new knowledge, to a text I had a personal relationship with.
Today I'm sitting down for a chat with artist and recent Dartmouth alumna McKenna '23. We met in freshman year and became close friends after COVID. Not only did we live in the same dorm cluster as freshmen (we're both in School House), we are also currently roommates in Hanover! McKenna's originally from Phoenix, Arizona, and in classic Dartmouth fashion considered majoring in everything from Cognitive Science to Math, but eventually settled on Studio Art. She's an incredibly intelligent and talented person, and if you're interested in Studio Art at Dartmouth, I can think of no better introduction to the department than her.
Q: Why did you decide to major in Studio Art?
A: I don't think it's worth it to major in something you're not interested in here, because everyone is so good at what they do. Being smart and capable isn't enough—you also have to genuinely care about your area. I tried other majors—but with those, I was going to class because it was what I was supposed to do, and meanwhile I was surrounded by people who really cared about the subject matter. The only classes where I always felt that level of passion and interest were Studio Art classes, so it made sense as my major.
The Visual Arts Center, where the Studio Art department, as well as the Film and Media Studies department, is housed
Q: What is the Studio Artdepartment like?
A: The department is small so you get a lot of personal attention. There are a lot of resources: funding and facilities alike. We have two woodshops and a welding and metal-working shop. We also have a print shop with screen printing, relief carving, etching presses, and a Vandercook printing press. That's not to mention our huge drawing and painting rooms. We have equipment that even dedicated art schools don't have. We get to do so much that you need specific equipment for and therefore wouldn't have the chance to do elsewhere.
Professors and students are in the Visual Arts Center almost every day, so you can always find someone to direct your questions toward. Each studio art class is small and full of talented people, and the professors are incredibly qualified and accoladed. We get a lot of great mentorship that goes beyond simple instruction. We have famous artists here who are here to teach us. Not only that, they're friendly, and you can always find someone with the same interests and goals as you.
One downside: a ten week term is not long enough for a studio art class, in my opinion. Senior seminar is helpful in this regard because you're doing two terms worth of individual work with ongoing guidance and "crits" [critical reviews of ongoing work].
Q: Do you have a favorite major class you've taken at Dartmouth?
A: Advanced Printmaking—although it's hard to pick because I loved my sculpture and painting classes. But in printmaking I learned so much that I couldn't learn at home or elsewhere, since you need specific materials and equipment for different printmaking techniques. You can't normally take up copper etching on your own, for example, so it was a great opportunity to learn new techniques.
McKenna receiving a departmental award just before graduation
Q: What are you doing right now, and what do you plan on doing in the future?
A: The department has an internship program where they hire about five graduating studio art majors as staff for a year. Studio art interns help in classes, monitor undergraduates in the studio, and get paid individual studio time. I graduated in spring of 2023 and was hired as a studio art intern immediately after. I've gotten to further develop relationships with professors and prepare my professional portfolio. I'm also preparing to apply to graduate school and get my MFA. One goal of the internship program is to prepare recent graduates to be professional artists, so I've gotten a lot of career advice and have continued to develop my portfolio.
Q: What does it look like for you to take a project from conception to completion?
A: A lot of lower level classes have weekly or bi-weekly assignments, but once you get to higher-level classes or even the honors project, which is two terms long, you're doing your own long-term work with a budget, with regular crits, and with professorial guidance. Advanced Printmaking was one of the first concept-driven courses I took. We spent the first three weeks going over concepts or techniques, but then the next seven weeks were dedicated to one final project. In class we were going over history, theory, and we were doing crits as well. So much of Studio Art is having this extravagant idea and then producing horrible models—making stuff over and over, trial and error—until you can finally get your idea into reality. Eventually you're able to make something successful, and during that creation process you have to think seriously about why you do what you're doing, why you make each choice, and why other people should care about your art.
Thanks, McKenna! And thank you too, readers. If you want to learn more about the Studio Art department, their website is here. Until next post!
Most students have to go back to college after Thanksgiving to take their finals, but not at Dartmouth! We have a six-week winter break, known as "winterim!" Let me tell you how I spent my winterim!
Applying early to a university can be overwhelming and confusing. As someone who did not apply to Dartmouth through early decision, here are a couple tips that I could have used when thinking about applying early to a school!
As a second-year at Dartmouth, I've embraced leadership roles that foster community, creativity, and support! Here's a look at how each role has shaped my journey.
